Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund played out a goalless draw with Brazil's Fluminense in their opening Group F game at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Fluminense
Dortmund had some defending to do in the early stages of their first competitive fixture since the conclusion of the regular 2024/25 Bundesliga season on 17 May. Fluminense's Jhon Arias fired wide, before testing Gregor Kobel's reflexes with a shot towards the BVB custodian's near post. Karim Adeyemi conjured up a promising opening for Serhou Guirassy in response, but the Guinean was unable to make contact in the six-yard box. Speculative efforts from Hercules and Matheus Martinelli sandwiched a decent a save from Fábio to thwart Julian Brandt, while Kobel had to be alert to repel another well-struck shot from Arias.
Fluminense continued to ask the questions after the restart as Agustín Canobbio shot tamely at Kobel. Niko Kovač introduced new signing Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha in a bid to wrestle back the initiative, but the Brazilians - only 11 games into their domestic campaign - kept coming. Everaldo forced a diving save from Kobel, who reacted brilliantly to deny Nonato on the rebound. On the back foot for large periods, Dortmund mustered a second wind in stoppage time by winning a couple of corners. Niklas Süle chanced his arm after one such delivery was only half cleared, but Fábio was equal to the task. BVB's focus now switches to their meeting with South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns on 21 June.
Teams
Dortmund: Kobel - Süle, Anton, Bensebaini - Ryerson (Couto 87'), Sabitzer (Gittens 77'), Groß (Bellingham 59'), Svensson - Brandt (c) (Chukwuemeka 77'), Adeyemi (Nmecha 59') - Guirassy
Unused subs: Meyer, Mané, Coulibaly, Benkara, Azhil, Reyna, Beier, Duranville, Campbell, Albert
Out: Can (groin), Özcan (knee), Schlotterbeck (knee)
Coach: Niko Kovač
Fluminense: Fábio - Xavier, Thiago Silva (c), Freytes, Renê - Nonato (Baya 87'), Hercules, Martinelli (Lima 76') - Arias, Everaldo (Cano 70'), Canobbio (Serna 70')
Unused subs: Pitaluga, Eudes, Ignacio, Fuentes, Guga, Manoel, Santos, Bernal, Ganso, Lezcano, Keno
Out: Otávio (Achilles), Soteldo (hamstring)
Coach: Renato Gaúcho
As it happened!
BVB want a winner, but as has been the case throughout the match they've struggled to break down the Fluminense defence.
The teams have six minutes of stoppage time to find a winner.
First Serna gets away down the left and curls a shot towards goal from the edge of the box that Kobel saves well. Moments later, Ryerson gets into the Fluminense box and dinks a cross into the middle from the right. Svensson arrives at the back post but can only direct his header wide under pressure.
Gittens accelerates away from Nonato in midfield as he tries to get something going, but a tug of the shirt brings him down. Nonato gets a yellow card for his trouble.
Dortmund haven't looked at their sharpest going forward today, so Kovač makes two more changes in a bid to inject fresh ideas.
Dortmund get forward on the counter and for a moment Nmecha could release Brandt through on goal. He hesitates though and after Brandt runs offside, Nmecha tries to send Guirassy in. His pass is too strong though, and the chance disappears.
From a corner, the ball rolls out to Everaldo just outside the Dortmund box. His low drive draws a fine save from Kobel, down to his left, and the goalkeeper then quickly gets up to make an astonishing close-range block from Nonato on the rebound when a goal appeared certain!
The ball falls kindly for the Austrian midfielder on the edge of the Fluminense box but he doesn't make a clean connection with his low shot and it's an easy save for the goalkeeper.
The Dortmund captain is forced to run back towards his own goal under pressure from Fluminense players. He doesn't have any other option but to pass back to Kobel, but he shows too much of it to Everaldo, who almost nicks in to score. A big let-off for BVB there.
Kovač reacts to Fluminense's chances and brings on Jobe Bellingham for his Dortmund debut, with Groß making way. Nmecha also takes to the field for Adeyemi.
Arias sprays a long ball forward for Everaldo on the counter-attack. He gets to the edge of the Dortmund box, cuts inside Anton and lays the ball off for Canobbio, whose shot is weak and straight at Kobel. That really should have been the opening goal.
Fluminense suddenly up the tempo as they probe for an opener, and once again Arias is in the thick of it. He collects a lofted ball on the left-hand side of the Dortmund box and tries to dink a high cross into the box but Kobel is alive to the danger and saves.
Both teams have tightened things up at the back in this half, which is hardly surprising given the frequency of chances towards the end of the first period.
Arias tees up Hercules, arriving in the Dortmund box on the right. He smashes a first-time effort narrowly over the bar.
The Dortmund goalkeeper goes to ground clutching his chest after a collision with Everaldo, but he's alright to continue.
Fluminense get the action back under way.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time.
Dortmund stroke the ball around the box before Groß releases Adeyemi into space. He could shoot from inside the box, on his favoured left foot too, but instead tries to cut inside to work a better angle. That gives Martinelli space to recover and tackle the BVB attacker.
Fluminense have the wind in their sails now as they create another opening. This time Arias shoots from range, but his curling shot is well kept out by Kobel.
The Brazilian side very nearly take the lead just a few seconds later as Martinelli has space to shoot from the edge of the Dortmund area. He's aiming for the far post but his effort fizzes just wide of the target.
A brilliant first-time pass from Groß sends Brandt into the box. He twists, turns and fires a powerful left-footed shot at goal that's well saved by goalkeeper Fábio. It wouldn't have counted had it gone in, though, as the flag goes up for offside.
Dortmund try something from a free-kick deep in the opposition half but it doesn't work out as planned and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
The Fluminense midfielder receives the ball in a central position, about 35 yards out. He takes a stride forward and unleashes a low shot that swerves just wide of the post.
The BVB forward collided with the Fluminense goalkeeper as he lunged for the ball and requires treatment. He looks like he'll be able to continue though.
Adeyemi does brilliantly as he jinks into the box on the left, skipping past his marker and drilling a ball low across the six-yard box, looking for Guirassy. The forward is just a whisker away from applying the finishing touch.
Dortmund have had more of the ball so far (49 percent compared to Fluminense's 42 percent, with 9 percent contested), but the Brazilian side have looked far more dangerous going forward so far. The pace of Arias and Canobbio are keeping the BVB defence on their toes.
In a similar move to the one just a few moments ago, Arias has space to run into on the right. Bensebaini is wary of making a tackle given that he's already on a yellow card, allowing the Colombian forward to get a shot away from an angle that Kobel does well to save at his near post.
Fluminense are sitting deep and compact, inviting BVB forward. Kovač's players are probing, trying to find a way through but they've had no joy yet.
Cannobio chases a long ball forward and gets to it ahead of Süle, who is sporting a bleached-blonde hair-do. The forward shuffles towards the byline and tries to cross into the middle, but it's blocked for a corner.
Arias bursts into space down the right, sprinting almost the full length of Dortmund's half as he tears into the box. The angle is tight but he gets a powerful shot away that whizzes just past the target.
A very early caution for the Dortmund defender for a foul near the halfway line.
Dortmund get the ball rolling!
The players are out on the pitch and have done the customary handshakes and coin toss. We'll be under way soon.
Fábio - Xavier, Thiago Silva (c), Freytes, Renê - Nonato, Hercules, Martinelli - Arias, Everaldo, Canobbio
Pitaluga, Eudes, Ignacio, Fuentes, Guga, Manoel, Santos, Bernal, Ganso, Lezcano, Lima, Keno, Cano, Baya, Serna
Kobel - Süle, Anton, Bensebaini - Ryerson, Sabitzer, Groß, Svensson - Brandt (c), Adeyemi - Guirassy