FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Inter, Dortmund go past rivals in thrilling ties

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup delivered two thrilling group stage clashes on Saturday, as Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan secured vital wins in contrasting yet captivating fashion.  Dortmund play out 7-goal thriller agianst Mamelodi

 

At TQL Stadium, Borussia Dortmund edged past South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns 4-3 in a game marked by extreme heat and momentum shifts. The Sundowns struck first through Lucas Ribeiro Costa’s clinical finish in the 11th minute. But Dortmund equalized five minutes later, courtesy of a defensive blunder by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who inadvertently passed the ball to Felix Nmecha right in front of goal. Nmecha tapped in with ease. 

 

The Bundesliga side took full control before halftime. Serhou Guirassy’s 34th-minute strike and Jobe Bellingham’s composed finish just before the break gave Dortmund a 3-1 advantage. A Khuliso Mudau own goal in the 59th minute widened the lead to 4-1. However, the Sundowns roared back with two late goals, a clever double effort from Iqraam Rayners in the 62nd minute and a last-gasp strike from Lebo Mothiba, setting up a tense finale. Despite the pressure, Dortmund held on to take all three points and top Group H.

 

Inter stays alive with a win over Urawa

 

Meanwhile, Inter Milan staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 at Lumen Field. Urawa shocked the Italian giants early on when Ryoma Watanabe finished a slick move set up by Takuro Kaneko in the 11th minute. Despite dominating possession, Inter couldn’t break through until the 78th minute, when Lautaro Martínez equalized with a sensational bicycle kick from a corner.

 

The decisive moment came in stoppage time, when Valentin Carboni, just eight months removed from a serious knee injury, latched onto Francesco Esposito’s pass to score the winner. Goalkeeper Yann Sommer ensured the win with a crucial save in the dying seconds, tipping a long-range free kick over the crossbar.

 

With these results, both Dortmund and Inter move to the top of their respective groups and head into their final group matches with momentum and qualification hopes alive. Urawa and Sundowns, however, are now left fighting for pride in their last fixtures, having fallen just short in two fiercely contested battles.