Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns Prediction: A tough opener to kick off group F

Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns: Prediction and odds on the Match on 18 June 2025

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group F opener at Inter&Co Stadium pits South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. Ulsan Hyundai enters the match with 3 wins in their last 6 matches, including 3 wins in their last 6 home games. Ulsan, three-time K League 1 champions, aim to somehow make history on their third Club World Cup appearance. Mamelodi Sundowns, fifteen-time reigning South African Premier Division champions, bring flair and ambition after a heartbreaking CAF Champions League final loss to Egypt's Pyramids. Mamelodi Sundowns won their eighth South African Premiership title in a row with a game to spare in May, and they will head into this tournament with this momentum. With Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense also in Group F, both sides need a strong start. Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available. 

Ulsan Hyundai: form and statistics

Form across all competitions: LDWDW

Ulsan Hyundai, Asia’s top-ranked club, has dominated K League 1, winning three straight league titles from 2022-24 and securing two AFC Champions League crowns (2012, 2020). However, their 2025 season has been uneven, sitting third in K League 1, nine points behind Jeonbuk after a 3-1 away loss to Jeonbuk last month. Before that defeat to Jeonbuk, Ulsan Hyundai had not lost a game in their last 7 games across all competitions. 

Coach Kim Pan-gon has been fine-tuning tactics since June 6 with the Club World Cup in mind, and the time is finally here for him to put those well-refined tactics to good use. Erick Farias leads the team in goals with 8 goals to his name. 

Ulsan Hyundai Lineup

Ulsan Hyundai: Possible Lineup

Kim Pan-gon’s 4-2-3-1 emphasizes possession and pressing, with Erick Farias leading the attack after 8 K League goals this season. Ludwigson and Sang-Woo Kang provide width, while Kim Young-gwon and Myeong-kwan Seo anchor the defense. Midfielder Woo-Young Jung provides stability and flair to the midfield.

🔖 Ulsan Hyundai starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

Hyeon-woo Jo – Ludwigson, Kim Young-gwon, Myeong-kwan Seo, Sang-Woo Kang – Woo-Young Jung, Darijan Bojanic – Ko Seung-beom, Lee Chung-yong, Yoon Jae-Seok – Erick Farias

👤 Head coach: Kim Pan-gon

Mamelodi Sundowns: form and statistics

Form across all competitions: LDWWW

Mamelodi Sundowns, nicknamed “The Brazilians” for their yellow-and-green kit, are South Africa’s most dominant force, clinching their eighth straight Premier Division title in 2024-25. They are also known for their style of play, which is referred to as Shoe Shine and Piano, and they are sometimes called Bafana ba Style (The Stylish Guys). Their overall Club 15 league titles are a national record, but an aggregate 3-2 CAF Champions League final loss to Egypt’s Pyramids early last month left fans angry and disgusted. They remain under a cloud as the world of football expected Sundowns to win the CAF Champions League title against Egypt’s Pyramid; they were the better team, but football happened to the Brazilians. 

Mamelodi Sundowns have not been themselves this campaign as their free-flowing attacking football has been halted following their choice of coach. The hope is for Coach Miguel Cardoso to prove everyone wrong in the Club World Cup. A little tweak in the offense should do the trick. Coach Miguel Cardoso, appointed in December 2024, has shifted Sundowns toward a more defensive approach, adapting to less possession against global sides. 

Mamelodi Sundowns Lineup

Mamelodi Sundowns: Possible Lineup

Coach Miguel Cardoso is blessed with top players who can come on to make a difference in any league match. The Portuguese man has been criticized for benching key players like Themba Zwane and Peter Shalulile. He has also been criticized for changing Mamelodi Sundowns' style of play and moving it towards a more defensive approach, and he has been highly criticized for it. 

🔖 Mamelodi Sundowns starting lineup (4-2-3-1)

Ronwen Williams—Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana, Mosa Lebusa, Aubrey Modiba—Teboho Mokoena, Marcelo Allende—Jayden Adams, Tashreeq Matthews, Lucas Ribeiro—Iqraam Rayners

👤 Head coach: Miguel Cardoso

Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns: head to head statistics

This is the first meeting between Ulsan Hyundai and Mamelodi Sundowns, adding an extra layer of excitement to the opener. Both teams have scored in their last eight and nine games, respectively, which makes us predict a high-scoring affair. 

Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns: Betting Tips & Odds

• More than 2.5 goals in 3 of Ulsan Hyundai’s last 5 games, and the bet is offered on the 1xBet bookmaker website for odds of 2.18 odds;
• Both teams have found the net in Ulsan Hyundai’s 6 of their last 7 games, and the bet is offered on the Bet365 bookmaker website for odds of 1.84 odds;
• Some Betway experts believe that Mamelodi Sundowns will win this game, and this option is offered on the Betway bookmaker website for 2.63 odds;

Ulsan Hyundai vs Mamelodi Sundowns match prediction 18 June 2025

Ulsan Hyundai enters this game with all players available, and their possession-based style under Kim Pan-gon. Mamelodi Sundowns, on the other hand, have shifted towards a defensive approach courtesy of their newly appointed coach, Miguel Cardoso, and this could change the hands of this game. Sundowns, despite their CAF final heartbreak, are unbeaten in 9, with Rayners and Ribeiro putting up impressive performances on goals. The match is likely to be tight, with both teams finding the net. I believe a win or draw for the hosts is a good prediction, with both sides finding the net.

Our match prediction: is that at least one team to score over 1.5 goals for a coefficient of 1.75 in the 1xBet bookmaker. 

Our betting tip on the match: is a win or draw and a total of over 1.5 goals for 2.09 in the Betway bookmaker.

Lastly: A both teams to score for 1.84 odds in the Bet365 bookmaker.