Borussia Dortmund faced a challenging match in their Club World Cup opener against Fluminense, managing to secure a point despite being outperformed.
Brazilian teams had a strong beginning in the tournament, with Fluminense aiming to continue this momentum. Botafogo and Flamengo both won their opening matches, while Palmeiras played to a goalless draw against FC Porto.
Colombian international Jhon Arias made an impactful start, creating the first two chances of the match through individual efforts. Renê also tested the Dortmund defense with a long-range shot before the German side registered their first attempt on goal.
Karim Adeyemi's impressive cutback nearly set up Serhou Guirassy, but the striker was unable to connect, instead colliding with Fluminense's goalkeeper Fabio. As the first half progressed, Dortmund's performance improved, with Adeyemi and Julian Brandt leading some promising attacking plays.
Fluminense, however, continued to threaten with long-range shots from Hércules, Nonato, and Arias. Dortmund's early struggles were evident, highlighted by Ramy Bensebaini receiving a yellow card in the second minute. The team was fortunate to reach halftime without conceding a goal.
The second half began slowly, but Fluminense remained the more likely team to score. Dortmund experienced a moment of concern when goalkeeper Gregor Kobel felt discomfort, but he was able to continue playing.
Before coach Niko Kovač made substitutions to introduce debutant Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha, Fluminense missed another opportunity when Agustín Canobbio failed to challenge Kobel from a promising position.
It took Dortmund nearly 20 minutes to generate their first chance of the second half, with Marcel Sabitzer's attempt being saved by Fabio. Kobel was kept busy, making crucial double saves to deny Everaldo and Nonato.
As the match approached its conclusion, Dortmund managed to alleviate some pressure from Fluminense but struggled to create significant scoring chances until injury time. In the group's other match, Mamelodi Sundowns were set to face Ulsan HD from South Korea later that evening. Dortmund's next game in the group stage will be against the South African team on Saturday.
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