Borussia Dortmund outclass Mamelodi Sundowns in a 4-3 classic to roar Club World Cup championship challenge

In a classic battle that saw class triumph over endeavour, German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund, eight-time Bundesliga champions, ran out 4-3 winners over South African perennial champions Mamelodi Sundowns, on Saturday in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The outcome will take Dortmund to the top of the FIFA Club World Cup's Group F log, and both teams still have a chance to reach the play-offs with one round of matches remaining.

At the outset, both teams adopted a possession-based playing style, launching attacks from their defensive third and focusing on intricate, short passes to advance downfield.

Sundowns seemed the more adventurous as they sought to unlock the resources of their talented midfield to penetrate the Dortmund defence.

Sundowns' attacking rhythm was punctuated by bursts of speed that the opposition struggled to contain but Dortmund did not allow their opponents to settle.

The South Africans always looked more likely to score first after 10 minutes, even though Dortmund forced a corner during this period of play.

Just as the tide appeared to turn in favour of the Germans, Sundowns capitalised on the fleeting opportunity to take control of the match.

Former Dortmund striker Tashreeq Matthews, who was the only change in the Sundowns squad, sent a perfectly timed pass through the central Dortmund defence to Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro, who confidently slotted home the first goal after shaking off three defenders in the 11th minute (1-0).

It was a fitting moment for Ribeiro, who was playing his 50th game for Sundowns.

A terrible mistake by 'Mr Reliable', as the Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been dubbed, changed the tone of the match, as they grabbed an equaliser.

Williams attempted a pass out from the back but got it all wrong, and the ball fell to the lurking Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, who calmly scored the equaliser with unnerving composure in the 16th minute.

Sundowns continued to hold the whip, although they did create threatening scoring opportunities. Just past the half-hour mark, Sundowns were dispossessed in midfield, and the tide turned sharply.

They were left to rue their lapse as Dortmund's leading marksman Serhou Guirassy made them pay, heading home a goalmouth cross from close range.

This gave Dortmund a 2-1 crucial lead, amplifying the pressure on Sundowns as they approached the half-time mark.

In a half that held much promise for Sundowns, their anxieties deepened just before half-time when Dortmund's prodigious talent, Jobe Bellingham, found the net with the opposition defence in disarray (3-1).

The Birmingham-born midfielder is the brother of England international Jude Bellingham.

When second-half play resumed, Sundowns refused to buckle under the pressure and hard to assert their dominance on the field.

They managed two half-chances in the opening 15 minutes, but once Dortmund absorbed that pressure, they went further ahead on the hour mark through an own goal by Sundowns fullback Khuliso Mudau (4-1).

Despite the setback, Sundowns did not allow despair to set in, and they continued to push forward in search of redemption. The tireless pursuit finally bore fruit three minutes later when Iqraam Rayners reduced the deficit (4-2).

In the final minute, substitute Lebo Mothiba scored Sundowns' third goal but it was a case of too little too late.