By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Borussia Dortmund overcame a spirited Mamelodi Sundowns comeback to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory in a pulsating FIFA Club World Cup encounter on Saturday.
The match burst into life early on when Lucas Ribeiro dazzled with a sublime solo run, dispatching a clinical strike into the bottom-right corner in the 11th minute to give the South African side a shock 1-0 lead.
But Dortmund hit back almost immediately. In the 16th minute, a calamitous error from Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams gifted Felix Nmecha a simple finish to level the score.
Serhou Guirassy squandered a golden chance to put the Germans ahead three minutes later, only to be denied by a sensational point-blank save from Williams.
However, Guirassy made amends in the 34th minute, heading in Julian Brandt’s pinpoint cross to make it 2-1.
Dortmund tightened their grip just before half-time, with Jobe Bellingham pouncing on a rebound to rifle home from close range in the 45th minute.
Guirassy came close to a second in stoppage time, but Williams again pulled off a spectacular save to keep the score at 3-1 at the break.
The pressure mounted after the restart, and in the 59th minute, Khuliso Mudau inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net while trying to clear a low cross, handing Dortmund a commanding 4-1 lead.
Yet the South African champions refused to surrender. Iqraam Rayners struck the post with a header in the 62nd minute but reacted quickly to nod home the rebound and pull one back at 2-4.
The momentum shifted late on, and in the 90th minute, Lebo Mothiba capitalised on a fine assist from Kutlwano Lethlaku to fire in a close-range finish, setting up a tense finale. But Dortmund held firm, narrowly avoiding an improbable collapse.
