Borussia Dortmund claimed their first win at the FIFA Club World Cup with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, in a pulsating Group D clash in Charlotte.

The South African side stunned the Bundesliga outfit early on as Lucas Ribeiro Costa fired Sundowns ahead after just 11 minutes.

But Dortmund hit back swiftly, with Felix Nmecha capitalising on a defensive error before Serhou Guirassy and Jobe Bellingham put the Germans in control by half-time.

A Khuliso Mudau own goal made it 4-1, but Sundowns refused to go quietly. Goals from Iqraam Rayners and Lebo Mothiba gave the Queen City crowd a tense finale, though Niko Kovač’s men held on to seal three crucial points.

After the match, Dortmund boss Kovač praised the spectacle but admitted his side had work to do defensively.

“It was an open and wild game,” he said. “We showed great attacking quality but need to manage matches better. Credit to Sundowns—they made us fight to the end.”

On Bellingham’s first goal for the club, Kovač added: “I’m very happy for Jobe. He’s worked hard and deserved that moment.”

The result puts Dortmund in a strong position to reach the last-16, while Sundowns must now win their final group match to stand any chance of progressing.