Group stage action in Groups E and F concluded on Wednesday, delivering a decisive round of fixtures that saw Borussia Dortmund, Fluminense, Monterrey, and Inter Milan all secure their places in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup.
Borussia Dortmund capped off their group stage campaign with a dominant yet hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ulsan to finish atop Group F.
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Despite overwhelming the South Korean side with 28 shots, 11 of them on target, it took until the 36th minute for Daniel Svensson to break the deadlock with a pinpoint strike.
Niko Kovač’s men secured their spot in the knockout phase, while Ulsan, already eliminated following earlier defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns and Fluminense, offered little resistance.
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Fluminense do just enough in Mamelodi stalemate
It wasn’t pretty, but Fluminense got the job done. The Brazilian side played out a goalless draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in a match that delivered little excitement but enough to ensure their progression.
Fluminense finished second in Group F behind Dortmund with five points. Mamelodi edged the shot count 7-6 and had three attempts on target compared to Fluminense’s zero, but neither side found a breakthrough in the low-tempo clash.
Monterrey blow away Urawa with a First-Half blitz
Monterrey announced themselves as a knockout-stage threat with a ruthless 4-0 demolition of Urawa Red Diamonds to seal passage from Group E. A stunning first-half performance saw them net three goals in 15 minutes.
Nelson Deossa opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a thunderous effort from range, before German Berterame and Jesus Corona added quick-fire finishes. Berterame struck again in the dying minutes to complete the rout. The Mexican giants bounced back emphatically from earlier struggles, while Urawa exited the tournament with just a single point.
Inter capitalise on the Red Card to knock out River Plate
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Inter Milan battled through a tense encounter to defeat River Plate 2-0 and clinch the final Round of 16 berth from Group E. The turning point came in the second half when River’s Lucas Martinez Quarta was shown red, forcing the Argentines to play with 10 men.
It didn’t take long for Inter to take advantage; Francesco Pio Esposito broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, and Alessandro Bastoni sealed the win late on. Inter had struggled to crack River’s compact defence before the dismissal but finished strong. River, needing a result to survive, bow out in frustration.
Coming Up Next in the Round of 16:
Juventus FC vs. Manchester City
Wydad AC vs. Al Ain FC
Al Hilal vs. CF Pachuca
FC Salzburg vs. Real Madrid C.F
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