Jobe Bellingham was instrumental as Niko Kovac's side came from behind to beat an expansive Sundows side in an enthralling Club World Cup contest

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• Dortmund overturned an early Sundowns lead, won 4-3 to all but clinch a knockout spot
• Jobe Bellingham ran the show in first Dortmund start
• Sundowns threatened, still have a chance to make knockout stages

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  Dortmund are through to the Club World Cup knockout stages, but it didn't come easily as they barely survived in 4-3 win against heavy underdogs Mamelodi Sundowns.

  The Sundowns were the more assertive side early on, and good value for their lead. Their opener came from a moment of individual brilliance. Lucas Ribeiro turned his man, accelerated through the midfield, and slotted past a stranded Gregor Kobel.

  But Dortmund found their way back into a game – if only due to a number of Sundowns errors. Felix Nmecha finished into an empty net after a giveaway from the goalie. The second came in a similar fashion, a poor Sundowns pass leading to a well-constructed Dortmund move and easy header for a wide-open Serhou Guirassy at the far post.

  The rest of the game was the Jobe Bellingham show. He scored his side's third on the stroke of half time after a nice piece of skill and angled shot. He then set up the decisive fourth on the hour mark. The Sundowns made a late push, grabbing two goals late, but Dortmund saw it out with relative ease to secure a crucial CWC win.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bellingham scored his first goal for Dortmund in his first start for the club. It was also the first goal of the calendar year for the 19-year-old, who secured a $34.6 million (€30 million) move from Sunderland earlier this month.

• THE MVP

  It took him a while to get going, but this was eventually Bellingham's game in his first start for the club. He was the best player on the pitch for most of the contest, and involved in the last two goals that ultimately killed the game off for Niko Kovac's side. The comparisons to his older brother won't stop, but the early signs suggest he can carve out his own legacy.

• THE BIG LOSER

  Ronwen Williams did a pretty good job of letting the Sundowns' early lead slip away. The veteran goalkeeper started the Dortmund comeback single-handedly with an errant pass into the feet of a grateful Nmecha. He made things worse soon after with a dangerous ball into the midfield that led to Dortmund's second. A few saves can't be discredited, but he made some decisive mistakes on the day.

  Also on Dortmund's end, what is going with Gio Reyna? It makes no sense, at this point, why the attacking midfielder was selected for the CWC squad. Kovac suggested before the tournament that substitutions would be situational, and there may yet be a need for his inclusion. But through two games, there are few signs that the American has a role to play. If only there were another tournament he might have played in this summer…

Tags: Futebol
Category: News