A well-deserved victory.

At 8:00 AM on June 26th (Hanoi time), Inter Milan and River Plate faced each other in the final group stage match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Both teams needed at least a 2-2 draw to advance. However, this did not happen, as the match ended 2-0 in favor of Inter Milan, thus River Plate had to sadly exit the tournament.

Inter Milan and River Plate held their fate in their own hands ahead of the final group stage match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The winner would secure a place in the Round of 16 as group winners. Conversely, the loser would have to wait for Monterrey to fail to beat Urawa Reds to maintain their second-place finish. However, Inter Milan and River Plate could have advanced together if the match had ended in a 2-2 draw or higher, regardless of the scoreline against Urawa Reds. In that case, all three teams would have 5 points, but Inter Milan and River Plate would advance due to a better head-to-head record against Monterrey. However, that did not happen.

River Plate is a South American team, yet their playing style is very pragmatic, similar to European teams. They always proactively play defensively to ensure they don't lose. However, the South American team needs at least a draw with a score of 2-2 or higher against Inter Milan to secure their own qualification, so River Plate is unlikely to play as defensively as in previous matches. The Argentinian representative is a superb team defensively, and their balanced playing style makes River Plate a difficult opponent for any team. However, that difficulty will not apply to Inter Milan in this match.

Inter Milan had a rather unconvincing group stage campaign. They only managed to get 1 point in their opening match against Monterrey and struggled to come from behind against Urawa Reds. Although currently second in Group E, Cristian Chivu's team still faces the risk of elimination if they lose to River Plate. In previous matches, Inter Milan attacked frequently, creating many scoring opportunities in the penalty area, but their effectiveness was low. In this match, River Plate needed a goal more, so they were forced to attack, which would make it easier for Inter Milan's attack. In this match, when the Italian team had opportunities with favorable spaces, Martinez and his teammates took advantage of them to finish off their opponents.

Entering the match, both teams adopted a cautious approach, monitoring Monterrey's simultaneous game. In the first half, Monterrey took a 3-0 lead against Urawa Reds, forcing River Plate to score as they had the lowest goal difference among the three teams. Under this pressure, River Plate attempted to break the deadlock, but their ineffective attack proved a major obstacle to their desire for victory.

The 0-0 scoreline persisted throughout the first half and into the 72nd minute. Despite not being under pressure to score like River Plate, Inter Milan created more dangerous opportunities. Only the post and the excellent save by goalkeeper Armani prevented River Plate from conceding an early goal. However, in the 72nd minute, following a central midfield combination, Esposito perfectly controlled the ball before unleashing a neat shot into the right corner of River Plate's goal. Inter Milan sealed their victory with a second goal in the 90+3 minute, scored by Bastoni.

With a 2-0 victory over River Plate, Inter Milan secured first place in Group E. Their next opponent in the Round of 16 is another South American team: Fluminense, who finished second in Group F.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/chien-thang-xung-dang-131364.html