Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns Prediction and Betting Tips

Ulsan will face Mamelodi Sundowns at the Exploria Stadium on Tuesday in the opening group-stage game of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign. The Tigers have had mixed results in their domestic assignments of late, but will break from that this week as they make their return to the global stage.

The South Korean giants last featured in the Club World Cup back in the 2020-21 season after their AFC Champions League triumph. They were beaten 2-1 by eventual finalists Tigres in their first game of the tournament in 2021 before suffering a comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Qatari outfit Al Duhail in their battle for fifth place.

Mamelodi Sundowns, meanwhile, will head into the Club World Cup on the back of a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Egyptian side Pyramids in the CAF Champions League final, as their wait for a second continental title extends to nine years.

Bafana ba Style are one of four African clubs in the global showpiece this year, although they are the only team from the south of the continent. Sundowns will now be targeting a positive result this week ahead of their meeting with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Tuesday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
While Ulsan have never faced African opposition in competitive action, Sundowns faced Kashima Antlers and Jeonbuk in the 2016 Club World Cup and lost both games.
Sundowns are set for just their second Club World Cup participation, while the Tigers are set for their third.
Ulsan are without a clean sheet in their last four games and have managed just one in their last seven.

Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns Prediction

Tuesday's game will feature two closely matched sides and could ultimately be decided by individual quality. Ulsan have, however, struggled for results on foreign grounds in recent games and will have to step things up significantly on Tuesday.

Sundowns' latest result ended a nine-game unbeaten streak, and they will be looking to return to winning ways here but may have to settle for a point.

Prediction: Ulsan 1-1 Mamelodi Sundowns

Ulsan vs Mamelodi Sundowns Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Draw

Tip 2 - Both teams to score: YES (Both sides have found the back of the net in six of Ulsan's last seven matches)

Tip 3 - Sundowns to score first: YES (The South African outfit have opened the scoring in seven of their last eight outings)

About the author

Jedidiah is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who has been covering match previews for more than 3 years. Currently pursuing an engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, he conducts thorough research and ensures to be up-to-date with football news across the globe to create the most accurate previews.

A Manchester United fan, Jedidiah fell in love with football and the Red Devils since their UEFA Champions League triumph over Chelsea in 2008. He is a big fan of Robert Lewandowski and his historic performances from 2020, but feels that only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are capable of replicating the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry. His all-time favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti due to the Italian's remarkable composure in difficult moments of a contest. Spain's 1-0 win over Netherlands in the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is etched in his memory forever.

A true student of the game, Jedidiah relishes identifying hidden gems from lower-tiered leagues such as the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie. When not creating previews, he likes playing football and reading books.

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