Club World Cup Focus: Dortmund draws Fruminense, an offensive and defensive game under the crushing value

In the early morning of June 18, the first round of Group F of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (Club Cup) group stage was held at the Metropolitan Life Stadium in New Jersey, USA. Bundesliga powerhouse Dortmund staged a dramatic showdown with Brazilian team Frumenense. Although Dortmund had an absolute advantage with a total net worth of 478 million euros, Fruminense finally tied his opponent 0-0 with his tenacious defense and efficient counterattack, writing a classic battle of defeating the strong with the weak.

Pre-match situation: The collision of huge disparity in value and historical accumulation

As the runner-up of the 2024-2025 Champions League, Dortmund showed strong competitiveness in the 2024-2025 Champions League. Although he lost to Barcelona 3-5 in the quarter-finals, the outstanding performance of players such as Gilasi still makes the outside world full of expectations for his journey to the Club World Cup. In the Bundesliga, Dortmund ranked fourth with a record of 17 wins, 6 draws and 11 losses, and narrowly qualified for the Champions League next season.

In contrast, although Fruminense is the 2023 South American Liberators Cup champion, he ranked only 13th in the Brazil League last season and has difficulty relegation. This season, led by legendary coach Renato Potalupi, the team's form has recovered. Currently ranked 6th in the Brazilian League, and has achieved 11 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in all competitions. It is worth noting that the team's defense is led by 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio and central defender Thiago Silva, who is about to turn 41. The experience of the two veterans has become the decisive force for the team's defense.

In terms of lineup value, Dortmund far exceeds Fruminense's 83.7 million euros with a net worth of 478 million euros, a gap of nearly 6 times. However, the support of the fans on the scene showed a one-sided trend, and the cheers of a large number of Brazilian fans made the neutral position the home court of Fruminense.

Tactical Game: The battle between veteran's defense line and youth storm

Frumenense head coach Renato Potalupi adopts a pragmatic 4-3-3 formation and uses a quick counterattack to create threats. Although former coach Fernando Dinis's "relational football" emphasizes ball control and position rotation, Potalupi pays more attention to defensive stability and uses the veteran's experience advantages in the defense by limiting opponent space. Under the leadership of the new coach Niko Kovac, Dortmund adjusted the formation to 3-4-2-1, emphasizing direct football and rapid conversion. The forward line composed of Gilasi and Adeyemi became the core of the offensive. At the beginning of the game, Fruminense showed a strong desire to attack. Within 20 minutes of the game, the team dominated with 4-1 shots with the successive attacks of Arias, Canobio and others. In the 16th minute, Arias dribbled to the front of the penalty area at high speed, and a powerful and heavy shot was resolved by Dortmund goalkeeper Kober; in the 35th minute, Arias shot again from a long distance and went straight to the dead corner, and Kober made a key save again. In the first half, Frumenense completely suppressed Dortmund with an 8-3 shot advantage, but Dortmund did not shoot directly, and the scene was extremely passive.

Focus on the court: Goal Gods showdown and star debut

Swiss goalkeeper Kober became Dortmund's "life-saving straw". Facing Fruminense's 19 shots in the game, he received high and low blocks, and resolved his chances of scoring many times, especially the continuous shots of Arias and Nonato in the first half, which was a "god-level performance." Fruminense's 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio also performed well. Not only did he save Dortmund's threatening shot at the end of the game, but he also stabilized the morale of the defense with steady command. In the 59th minute, Dortmund 19-year-old star Job Bellingham made a substitute and made his Hornets' career debut. As the younger brother of England international Bellingham, he completed 34 touches, 26 passes and 3 clearances in more than 30 minutes of playing time, showing a view of the overall situation and defensive awareness beyond his age. Although he failed to rewrite the score, his performance made Dortmund fans look forward to the future.

Defensive resilience and tactical reflection

Although Dortmund is at a disadvantage in ball possession rate (48%-52%) and shots (7-19), Kober's brave saves and tenacious resistance from the defense ensured that the team escaped unscathed. Thiago Silva's dominant defense became the cornerstone of Fruminense's defense, and his precise interception and clearance resolved Dortmund's offense many times. Although Fruminense's quick counterattack tactic failed to translate into a goal, the continuous high pressure forced Dortmund's defense to have loopholes many times.

For Dortmund, this game exposed the problems of insufficient offensive efficiency and weak midfield control. Although players such as Gilasi have the advantage of speed, they lack effective means of breaking the situation when facing intensive defense. Kovac said after the game that the team needs to strengthen tactical execution and cooperation among players in subsequent games.

Frumenense head coach Renato Potalupi was satisfied with the team's performance. He believed that the stability of defense and teamwork were the key to tie the strong opponent. At the same time, he also mentioned that the team still has room for improvement on the offensive end, especially in seizing the opportunity to play a single shot. After qualifying in the group with the veteran legend

, Dortmund and Fruminense scored 1 point in Group F, and will face Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sunset respectively. For Dortmund, if you want to ensure your qualifying, you must improve offensive efficiency in subsequent games, especially the forward combination of Gilasi and Adeyemi needs more support. Fruminense needs to continue to leverage the veteran's experience advantages in the defense line, and at the same time optimize the cooperation on the offensive end to strive to occupy a favorable position in the group stage.

It is worth mentioning that Thiago Silva and Fabio's outstanding performance once again proves the value of the veteran in key games.. Thiago Silva, 40, became the team's defensive core with 2.1 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per game, while Fabio, 44, continued to write the football legend with his performance of losing his opponent. Their existence is not only the spiritual pillar of Fruminense, but also adds a different color to the Club World Cup.

This 0-0 draw is not only a wonderful presentation of a tactical game, but also a vivid interpretation of the charm of football. Although Dortmund has an absolute advantage in value and paper strength, Fruminense has made this game a classic battle in the history of the Club World Cup with his tenacious fighting spirit and excellent tactical execution. As the game deepens, whether Dortmund can adjust its state to achieve a breakthrough, and whether Fruminense's veterans can continue to write legends will become the focus of fans' attention. In the next game, we look forward to seeing more exciting moments and witnessing the infinite possibilities of the football world.

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