Preview: Ulsan Huyndai vs. Mamelodi Sundowns - prediction, team news, lineups

South Korean outfit Ulsan Hyundai will be bidding to make a winning start to their Club World Cup campaign when they tackle South African team Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday.

Ulsan qualified for the finals as the best-ranked eligible team in the AFC four-year ranking, while Mamelodi were the second-best ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking.

Match preview

Ulsan HD are competing in the finals of the Club World Cup for the third time, having previously competed in 2012 and 2020, but this will be a completely new challenge due to the expanded nature of the tournament.

Kim Pan-gon's side qualified for the finals as the best-ranked eligible team in the AFC four-year ranking, and this will be their best chance of claiming all three points in the section.

Indeed, Group F also involves Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, demonstrating the importance of picking up a victory here, and both sides will certainly be thinking the same thing.

Ulsan HD have paused their South Korean league campaign in order to take part in the competition, with the team last in action at the end of May against Jeonbuk Motors, when they lost 3-1.

Mamelodi Sundowns are no strangers to silverware, having won South Africa's top flight on 15 occasions, and they qualified for the Club World Cup as the second-best ranked eligible team in the CAF four-year ranking.

Miguel Cardoso's side will know what they are up against this summer, and it will be a big ask for them to make an impression, but Tuesday's contest hands them a real chance to put three points on the board.

Mamelodi Sundowns will take on Borussia Dortmund in their second match in the section before finishing against Fluminense on June 25, and it would be some effort if they managed to finish in the top two in what is their second appearance at the Club World Cup, having also featured in 2016.

The South African outfit boast two players with excellent goalscoring records this season; Iqraam Rayners has 22 goals in 43 appearances, while Lucas Ribeiro has 20 goals in 48 appearances.

Ulsan UD form (all competitions):

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Mamelodi Sundowns form (all competitions):

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Team News

Ulsan will have a Brazilian leading their line on Tuesday, with Erick Farias, who has nine goals in 15 appearances this season, set to feature in the starting side.

Darijan Bojanic has two goals from central midfield and is also set to feature in the XI here.

Meanwhile, Gustav Ludwigson is likely to be handed a position in the side.

As for Mamelodi Sundowns, Rayners and Ribeiro, as mentioned, have 42 goals between them this season, and both will be in the starting side on Tuesday night.

Tashreeq Matthews has eight goals, meanwhile, and he is also in line to start here.

Teboho Mokoena will also be a notable starter for the South African team in the middle of midfield.

Ulsan HD possible starting lineup:

Hyeon-Woo; Sang-Woo, Young-Gwon, Myung-Gwan, Ludwigson; Woo-Young; Won-Sang, Bojanic, Seung-Beom, Jae-Seok; Farias

Mamelodi Sundowns possible starting lineup:

Williams; Mudau, Kekana, Lebusa, Modiba; Allende, Mokoena, Adams; Ribeiro, Rayners, Matthews

We say: Ulsan HD 1-1 Mamelodi Sundowns

This is a tough match to call, and both will fancy their chances of putting three points on the board, but we are expecting a close game to finish all square.

Written by
Matt Law

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