A spot in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be up for grabs when Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey face off at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week.

The curtains will fall on the round of 16 of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this midweek, with the final two matches in the round. Three of the four quarter-finals are set, and the fourth tie will become clear after the midweek matches: Real Madrid vs Juventus and Borussia Dortmund vs CF Monterrey.

Borussia Dortmund qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup round of 16 by finishing atop Group F, having beaten Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD while playing out a goalless draw with the impressive Fluminense side. While the Black and Yellows have gradually become a productive team in the final third, their defensive output can improve.

On the other hand, CF Monterrey reached the round of 16 by finishing second in Group E behind Inter Milan after an unbeaten group-stage campaign. The Mexican giants have been one of many surprise packages in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they usurped River Plate in the opening phase.

Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey have never locked horns previously, and The Hard Tackle looks closer at the clash ahead of the first-ever meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Borussia Dortmund

Niko Kovac has a new issue that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Borussia Dortmund manager will lose one first-team player going into the game vs CF Monterrey this midweek.

Jamie Gittens is on the verge of joining Chelsea in a big-money deal, and the Englishman will not feature for Borussia Dortmund against CF Monterrey. In addition, Can (adductor), Nico Schlotterbeck (knee), and Salih Ozcan (knee) are on the sidelines.

Gregor Kobel will retain his spot between the sticks, with Borussia Dortmund lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs CF Monterrey. The central defensive unit should feature Julian Ryerson, Waldemar Anton, and Ramy Bensebaini. Meanwhile, Yan Couto and Daniel Svensson will be the two wing-backs for the Black and Yellows.

As for the midfield unit, Pascal Gross should line up alongside Felix Nmecha in the middle of the park, with the duo protecting the centre-backs and providing the forward thrust from the central areas. Finally, Serhou Guirassy will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against CF Monterrey, with Julian Brandt and Jobe Bellingham being the supporting cast.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Bensebaini; Couto, Gross, Nmecha, Svensson; Brandt, Bellingham; Guirassy

CF Monterrey

Domenec Torrent has no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest match in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The CF Monterrey manager will be without only one first-team player vs Borussia Dortmund, with Carlos Salcedo recovering from a knee injury.

Esteban Andrada will take his spot between the sticks, with CF Monterrey going back to the 3-5-2 formation vs Borussia Dortmund instead of playing with a back four. The central defensive unit should feature Stefan Medina, Sergio Ramos, and Victor Guzman. Ricardo Chavez and Gerardo Arteaga will be the two wing-backs.

As for the midfield unit, Jorge Rodriguez will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Sergio Canales and Oliver Torres bringing the defensive support and providing the creative impetus from the central areas. Finally, Lucas Ocampos and German Bereterame will be the two strikers for CF Monterrey against Borussia Dortmund.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Andrada; Medina, Ramos, Guzman; Chavez, Canales, Rodriguez, Torres, Arteaga; Ocampos, Berterame

Key Stats

• The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 clash in the round of 16 between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey will be the first-ever meeting featuring the two teams and Dortmund’s first competitive match against a Mexican club.
• Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in ten successive matches in all competitions (W8 D2).
• CF Monterrey have conceded one goal in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup thus far, the joint-fewest in the competition alongside Al-Hilal and Paris Saint-Germain (after the group stage).
• Borussia Dortmund have kept clean sheets in three of their last four games after managing only one in their previous 13.
• CF Monterrey have progressed from just two of their seven knockout-stage games at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Player to Watch

Jobe Bellingham

Embed from Getty Images

While Serhou Guirassy, Lucas Ocampos, and Sergio Ramos were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Jobe Bellingham as the Player to Watch for the game between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The English midfield sensation has been hot off the blocks at Borussia Dortmund, having hit the ground running since arriving from Sunderland last month. Bellingham has already shown signs of following in his elder brother’s footsteps at the Bundesliga club, and he will aim to continue his excellent start to life with Borussia Dortmund with another game-changing display.

Prediction

Borussia Dortmund 1-0 CF Monterrey

The midweek clash between Borussia Dortmund and CF Monterrey is a match featuring teams with polar opposite ethos. While the Black and Yellows like to take the game by the scruff of its neck and put their opponents under pressure, the Mexican giants tend to sit back and absorb the pressure before hitting the opposition on the break.

So, the match at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium should not feature a lot of goalmouth action, and small margins will define the result. Monterrey will hope to take the game deep to have a chance of springing a surprise on Borussia Dortmund. However, Serhou Guirassy should make the difference for the Black and Yellows, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 win for Niko Kovac and his charges.