Niko Kovac leads "Borussia Dortmund" into their first-ever clash against Brazilian champions "Fluminense" in the opening round of the Club World Cup on June 17. The match kicks off at 19:00 Kyiv time at Meadowlands Stadium, with the German side entering as favorites.
"We've studied our opponents carefully and respect their achievements in South America, but we're coming with our own ambitions," – Kovac might say ahead of this historic encounter.
The Croatian manager has transformed "Borussia's" fortunes since taking over midway through the season. After replacing the struggling Nuri Sahin in winter, Kovac engineered an impressive final sprint that secured the coveted fourth place in the Bundesliga, edging out Freiburg by just two points.
Meanwhile, Fernando Diniz's "Fluminense" enters the tournament as South American champions after their breakthrough 2024 season when they captured their first-ever Copa Libertadores title. They followed that with a South American Super Cup triumph, though their domestic form has been patchy – they slumped to 13th place in Brazil's Serie A.
Interestingly, the Brazilian side has shown better form recently, ending their spring campaign with consecutive victories in Serie A. They've also impressed in the Copa Sudamericana, topping their group with 13 points.
The betting markets clearly favor the Europeans in this clash. Bookmakers offer odds of 1.9 for "Borussia" to win with a -1 goal handicap, reflecting their strong finish to the domestic campaign.
Will this first-ever meeting between these continental powerhouses live up to expectations? Football fans won't have to wait long to find out.
