Club World Cup Round of 16 Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey

Tuesday July 1 @ 9:00pm ET

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Ooh, we have a real toss up here. One of the oldest teams (Monterrey, 28.1 years avg.) taking on one of the youngest (Borussia, 24.9 years avg.). Equally compelling in the UEFA vs. CONCACAF angle. We already saw one of those (which didn’t end well for CONCACAF). I suspect this one will be a more balanced affair.

Recent History

These two teams have never played each other, friendly or otherwise.

How They Qualified for the Round of 16

Borussia Dortmund finished first in Group F with seven points. Despite being undefeated there’s been nothing convincing in their play to indicate that this is a team that could win it all. Their opening match with Fluminense was a snoozer that ended in a 0 – 0 draw. They were, frankly, outplayed in their second match against Mamelodi Sundowns, despite winning 4 – 3. They finally woke up against Ulsan, but despite 28 shots, could only get one in the net.

All of Borussia’s goals have come from five different players; there is no one single focus in the attack. This makes them tricky to defend. Jobe Bellingham (younger brother of Jude and recently signed from Sunderland) and Julian Brandt have proved to be the most creative playmakers on the side so far.

Monterrey finished second in Group E with five points. Their 1 – 1 draw with Inter Milan was gritty, with talismanic captain Sergio Ramos capturing the equalizer in dramatic fashion. In contrast, the 0 – 0 draw with River Plate was one of the dullest games of the tournament. Against Urawa Red Diamonds, Los Rayados unleashed a barrage of blistering shots from distance that confounded the keeper. Three goals in nine minutes. Brutal.

Monterrey’s stats are below average across the board except in that all-important one: goal conversion. With 50% of their shots on frame ending up striking net, Borussia had best be prepared to stop those shots before they happen.

Expected Conditions

No concerns here. The controlled environment of Mercedes-Benz Stadium will ensure optimum conditions and no cooling breaks.

The Hooligan Take

I’m pretty sure I got assigned this match because my other two colleagues didn’t want to go on the record with a prediction. I don’t blame them. Neither team has produced any consistency in the group stage, playing reactionary rather than intentional soccer. But my gut tells me that Monterrey will pull this one out. When the game gets tight, I’m gonna go with experience. It will end 1 – 1, and get resolved by penalties 4 – 2 in Monterrey’s favor.