A goalless draw marked the opening match of Group F in the Club World Cup, as Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense Rio de Janeiro played out a tense, chanceless encounter in front of over 30,000 spectators.
The intense but barren game was characterized by the impressive goalkeeping of Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel, who made several crucial saves throughout the match. In the 69th minute, he first deflected a right-footed shot from Everaldo to the side and then parried a Nonato effort, while Daniel Svensson came close to scoring with a header in the 84th minute and Kevin Serna’s long-range shot in the final quarter of an hour whizzed by the post.
Both teams made changes in the second half, with Dortmund introducing Jobe Bellingham, Jamie Gittens and Carney Chukwuemeka and Fluminense bringing on Germán Cano and Kevin Serna from the 70th minute. However, the imposing defensive lines of both teams prevented any genuine threats on goal.
Yellow cards were distributed evenly, with Ramy Bensebaini’s foul on Nonato in the 2nd minute being followed by a warning for Martinelli’s late challenge on Marcel Sabitzer in the 9th and a stop to the play in the 81st minute as Nonato halted Jamie Gittens.
Borussia Dortmund’s 0-0 start in Group F sets the stage for upcoming matches against Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD, with Fluminense also maintaining a scoreless record ahead of their next encounters, as both teams strive for a place in the quarterfinals.