Borussia Dortmund vs CF Monterrey: Club World Cup preview, team news & predicted lineups | OneFootball

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Niko Kovač’s Dortmund side entered this tournament coming off an impressive second-half campaign in the Bundesliga, where they qualified for the UEFA Champions League on the final day.

In the group stage in the United States, BVB went undefeated and finished top of Group F with seven points from nine, drawing Fluminense (0-0) and winning against Mamelodi Sundowns (4-3) and Ulsan HD (1-0). They finished tied for eighth in goals for, and tied for fifteenth in goals against in the group stage of this tournament. All five of their goals were scored by different players (Bellingham, Guirassy, Mudau, Nmecha, Svensson).

Kovač gave his team a day and a half of rest before the weekend, ensuring that his players could take a break after a long, gruelling season and the hot weather conditions they have faced in this tournament. On Monday morning, they made the trip from their last match in Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, where they will be playing in an indoor, cooled environment at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Kovač was asked about the weather in a press conference soon after the team arrived, but said that it was a natural part of playing in the sport: “You cannot do anything about the weather. We have climate change, and it affects all of us - we all have to deal with it.” Kovač said that he acknowledges why coaches like Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca would be angry after two-hour weather delays, but added that ensuring the players remain safe should be the priority.

One player in particular has caught Kovač’s eye in recent days, and that is Daniel Svensson, who scored the winning goal against Ulsan HD FC last week. The 23-year-old Swedish international was recently signed to a contract that lasts until 2029.

He said about Svensson, “Daniel is a running prodigy. I have never seen anything like him before, how much he runs; he can reach twelve, twelve and a half kilometers every time, regardless of whether it is hot or cold.”

He added that Svensson is “very disciplined, very organized, very structured in his mind, despite his very young age of 23” and that Svensson is an “exemplary professional through and through”.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said similar things about Svensson: “His intensity and flexibility fit our game very well, and it gives us plenty of options. Additionally, Daniel is a great person and an exemplary professional.”

Team News

Kovač noted that attacking midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is ill and will not be participating in the match this evening as a result; additionally, he noted that attacking midfielder Julian Brandt has been evaluated for a wrist fracture but that surgery might not be needed. Centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck (torn meniscus), defensive midfielder Emre Can (adductor), and defensive midfielder Salih Özcan (knee) are also unavailable to play due to injuries. Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1):Köbel; Couto, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Groß, Bellingham, Svensson; Brandt, Adeyemi; Guirassy.

CF MONTERREY

On the other side of the field is Mexican club CF Monterrey, who also finished undefeated in their group, with five points from nine, but were second, behind only Inter Milan who finished two points above them.

Domènec Torrent’s side has been one of the best at this tournament defensively, having only conceded once, against Inter, while scoring five in return. Four of those goals were scored in an impressive victory against Urawa Reds, where they scored two goals from long-range in just nine minutes, and three in ten near the end of the first half.

Despite the fact that their recent match against Urawa, an already eliminated side at that point, was a primarily attacking-minded match to bring momentum into the round of sixteen, Torrent made it clear that he wants his team to defend against BVB, and defend well.

“We need to compete as a team, and what I mean by this is that it will be all about defending. Everyone must defend; if you do not defend, you are going to the bench, and if you do not abide by the rules, you are hurting the team,” Torrent said in a press conference in Atlanta on Monday.

He added that the performance in the group stage against Inter Milan should serve as an example for the club as to how they should play. "We played very well against Inter; we went in for every ball, we suffered and we endured. Even some of our most talented players in the attack that do not defend often, defended very well.”

When asked by the media what he thought of Alessandro Del Piero’s comments, that Monterrey would go through over Borussia Dortmund, Torrent said: “He is a football legend, and we thank him, but we do not take it seriously. We know who we are and, on paper, who the favorites are. I hope that our players have not heard that comment, since what I want to clearly state to team is that we need to fight for every ball in every second - this is the only way that we can compete [with Dortmund]."

Team News

Monterrey do not have a single injury in their main squad at this moment.

Predicted Lineup (3-5-2):

Andrada; Medina, Ramos, Guzmán; Chavez, Deossa, Rodríguez, Corona, Arteaga; Canales, Berterame.