Fluminense were delighted with their Club World Cup draw, as they knew that even if they lost the first game against Borussia Dortmund, they would still have a good chance to advance, with Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD not at the same level as the other teams in their group.
Despite expectations, Flu achieved a great result in their first match, drawing 0-0 with Dortmund. This has boosted their morale ahead of the upcoming match against Ulsan on Saturday.
On the other hand, Ulsan suffered a 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi and are not expected to trouble the Brazilians much. Fluminense should have a comfortable victory at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Team news
Yeferson Soteldo is still out for Fluminense, but Renato Gaucho is likely to stick with the same lineup after their strong performance against Dortmund.
Ulsan have no injury worries, but manager Pan-gon Kim might make changes following the disappointing loss to Mamelodi. Matias Lacava and Jin-hyun Lee could feature in the starting lineup.
The stats
Fluminense have kept clean sheets in their last three games and are unbeaten in seven matches.
Ulsan HD lost 3-1 in their previous K-League game before the defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
Kevin Serna scored two of Fluminense's last three goals.
Ulsan have only won one of their last six away matches.
Fluminense had 14 shots compared to Dortmund's 7 in their first game.
Prediction
After an impressive 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund, where they dominated with 14 shots and limited their opponents to 7, Fluminense are the clear favorites for their next Club World Cup match.
With a squad featuring experienced players like Thiago Silva and Ganso, Fluminense should be too strong for Ulsan, who are coming off a loss against Mamelodi.
Ulsan's struggles away from home, winning only one of their last six matches, including the recent defeat to Mamelodi, make the task even harder for them against an in-form Fluminense side.
Having kept clean sheets in their last three games and being in a seven-match unbeaten streak, Fluminense are expected to win against Ulsan without conceding.