Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns Prediction: South Africans backed

Ulsan HD get their Group F campaign underway at the Fifa Club World Cup as they host South African outfit Mamelodi Sundowns at the Inter&Co Stadium in Florida (23:00, DAZN). The South Korean outfit will hope to get off to a winning start as both of these teams look to cause a shock in the United States of America. 

Read on for my Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns predictions.

Team News

Erik Farias should lead the line for Ulsan HD in this one, and the Brazilian has been on top form, netting nine goals in 15 so far this term. Elsewhere Darijan Bojanic should feature in central midfield, with Um Won-sang and 36-year-old Lee Chung-yong offering goalscoring threats from the wide positions. 

Jo Hyeon-woo will keep his place in goal, Kim Young-gwon is hugely experienced at the back, while Sweden’s Gustav Ludwigson is another option at the top end of the pitch. 

Ulsan HD Club World Cup Preview

As for Mamelodi Sundowns, we should see a similar team to the one that turned out in the CAF Champions League final - with every win in this competition worth over £1m. Iqraam Rayners scored in that defeat and should start up top, while the ninth best goalkeeper in the world according to the Ballon d’Or awards in 2024, Ronwen Williams, will play in goal.

Brazilian winger Lucas Ribeiro Costa is an exciting prospect, Tashreeq Matthews could provide attacking thrust from the other side, while Jayden Adams is the box-to-box player in the middle and will have to get through a lot of work. 

Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns Odds

Ulsan HD have been priced at 10/3 to win this game, while Mamelodi Sundowns are 10/11 to win this opening game. That gives them an implied win percentage of 52%, with a draw currently available at 5/2. 

Over 2.5 goals is 11/10, BTTS is 1/1 and Iqraam Rayners is the favourite to score first at 9/2. 

Mamelodi Sundowns to win @ 10/11

Two selections for you for this one and I’ll start by simply backing the South African outfit to win. It’s always tough to compare teams from two different continents, but I do believe the Sundowns have the clear edge heading into this fixture. 

They won their domestic league for the fifth consecutive season and only narrowly lost the CAF Champions League final to Pyramids. However their consistency in that competition has been impressive, as they have now reached the quarter-finals at a minimum in each of the last four campaigns. That’s what has taken them into this Club World Cup, although they have only won the CAF Champions League once, back in 2016.

Ulsan meanwhile, sit third in the K-League 1, having won the last three domestic titles. They won the AFC Champions League in 2020 and have performed reasonably well in that competition, losing on penalties in the semi-final last term. It’s a tough one to call, but I just feel that the South Africans have the edge given Ulsan's current form.

Price Boost - Mamelodi Sundowns to win, Rayners to score and 3+ goals @ 11/2

I’ll take advantage of the Price Boost on offer from Betfred. I’ve already explained my reasons for backing the Sundowns to win, while I also want to back Rayners to score. 22 goals in 44 games in all competitions speaks for itself in 2024/25, and I see no reason why he can’t pick up where he left off. 

Ulsan have only won one of their last four matches domestically and I think Sundowns will fancy their chances of getting stuck into them, with Rayners by far the most likely goalscorer. Given the importance of this match for both, I also believe 3+ goals is likely, making this Price Boost a tempting one at big odds. 

Offers

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