FIFA Club World Cup Fantasy 2025: Dortmund – Best players, predicted XI + more

Our FIFA Club World Cup Fantasy 2025 team previews continue with Group F favourites Borussia Dortmund.

Top Fantasy picks, an early predicted XI, leading goalscorers and assist-makers, set-piece takers and more – you’ll find it all here.

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DORTMUND: OVERVIEW

UEFA Champions League (UCL) Fantasy: Scout Picks Matchday 11 1

Borussia Dortmund slipped to fourth in the Bundesliga last season, but remain favourites to win Group F.

Under the leadership of Nuri Sahin, Die Schwarzgelben suffered a calamitous start to the 2024/25 season, collecting only 16 points from their first 10 matches. The second-round German Cup exit to Wolfsburg was a further blow.

Sahin was eventually sacked in January, with ex-Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac taking the reins at the Westfalenstadion.

From his appointment onwards, the club found some form and confidence, qualifying for the Champions League on the final day after winning seven of their last eight matches.

Furthermore, Dortmund often reserve their best displays for knockout football, having reached the 2023/24 Champions League final, providing room for optimism ahead of the Club World Cup.

Dortmund start the tournament with a game against Brazilian giants Fluminense, but easier on-paper clashes follow, with Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD not expected to make it past the group stage.

GROUP FIXTURES

BOOKIES PREDICTIONS

	To Qualify	To Win Group
Fluminense	75.2%	29.9%
Borussia Dortmund	85.6%	59.8%
Ulsan HD	23.6%	6.9%
Mamelodi Sundowns	15.6%	3.4%

LEAGUE TOP SCORERS

Serhou Guirassy ($9.0m, FWD) – 21
Jamie Gittens ($7.0m, MID) – 8
Maximilian Beier ($6.3m, FWD) – 8
Karim Adeyemi ($8.0m, MID) – 7
Julian Brandt ($6.5m, MID) – 5

LEAGUE TOP ASSIST-MAKERS

Pascal Gross ($5.7m, MID) – 10
Julian Brandt ($6.5m, MID) – 10
Karim Adeyemi ($8.0m, MID) – 6
Ramy Bensebaini ($5.2m, DEF) – 6
Maximilian Beier ($6.3m, FWD) – 5

SET-PIECE TAKERS

Penalties

Serhou Guirassy ($9.0m, FWD)
Emre Can ($5.7m, MID)

Corners + free-kicks

Julian Brandt ($6.5m, MID)
Pascal Gross ($5.7m, MID)
Daniel Svensson ($5.3m, DEF)

TOP FANTASY PICKS

SERHOU GUIRASSY ($9.0m) – FWD

Serhou Guirassy was the talisman for Dortmund last season, plundering 34 goals in 45 matches in all competitions.

Crucially, the Champions League proved to be one of his favourite hunting grounds, with 13 of his strikes arriving in Europe, as he finished joint-top of the UCL goalscoring charts with Barcelona’s Raphinha.

He mostly kept his cool from the penalty spot, too, scoring five of his six attempts in the Champions League.

Currently the third-most selected forward in the game (20.4%), Guirassy had the most expected goals (xG) in the Bundesliga in 2024/25, with 22.7 xG, so he’s a potent threat and could be a huge asset, particularly in Matchdays 2 and 3.

“I think he’s one of the best strikers in Europe. He showed that last year at Stuttgart, and now he’s proving it in both the league and the Champions League. His speed, power and ability to impose himself make him a top player.” – Lothar Matthaus

DANIEL SVENSSON ($5.3m) – DEF

Daniel Svensson’s performances since joining from Nordsjælland in February have been superb.

The youngster has scored one goal and provided three assists in 12 Bundesliga appearances, mostly impressing as a wing-back in Kovac’s preferred back-three system.

Above: Daniel Svensson’s touch heatmap at Dortmund in 2024/25, via Sofascore

Also adept at playing in the middle of the park, Svensson made his Sweden debut last October and could be a decent under-the-radar pick, with his ownership just 3% at the time of writing.

“He is sensational in terms of running, very tidy on the ball, makes few mistakes and always offers a passing option. At the back, he does everything that needs to be done.” – Niko Kovac

PASCAL GROSS ($5.7m) – MID

Pascal Gross was another player to thrive under Kovac, with eight of his 10 assists in 2024/25 arriving after the Croatian’s appointment.

A key cog in the Dortmund engine room, the veteran midfielder racked up 58 key passes over the Bundesliga campaign, the tenth-most of any player in the division.

Gross could therefore be a shrewd acquisition, particularly with his share of corners and free-kicks.

KARIM ADEYEMI ($8.0m) – MID

Karim Adeyemi started the season as backup to Jamie Gittens ($7.0m), but has since played himself into contention under Kovac, with five of his seven goals coming since the turn of the year.

The pacey attacker can play in any position across the frontline, which adds to his appeal, but admittedly needs to find more consistency.

For that reason, he’s a riskier pick, but he’s certainly explosive, as evidenced by his 23-point UCL Fantasy haul against Celtic back in October, when he bagged a first-half hat-trick.