The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute through 19-year-old forward Francesco Pio Esposito, who capitalized on Inter’s numerical advantage after River’s Lucas Martinez Quarta was shown a red card in the 65th minute. Esposito’s well-timed goal gave Inter the lead in a match that had been tightly contested until that point.
River Plate, despite playing with intensity and purpose, struggled to hold off the Italian side after going down to ten men. Their defensive gaps widened, and Inter made the most of it.
Alessandro Bastoni secured the result for Inter deep into stoppage time. The defender struck from the edge of the area with his left foot, doubling Inter’s lead and putting the game beyond River’s reach. Moments later, Gonzalo Montiel received his second yellow card, reducing River to nine men and compounding their woes.
The match ended on a tense note as emotions boiled over. River defender Marcos Acuna attempted to confront Inter’s Denzel Dumfries, but was restrained by his own teammates before any further incident occurred. Dumfries was quickly escorted off the field and into the locker room. The confrontation did not escalate further, and no additional disciplinary actions were taken.
With the win, Inter Milan secured a place in the Round of 16 and will face Brazilian side Fluminense. Fellow Group E team CF Monterrey also progressed and will take on Borussia Dortmund. River Plate exit the tournament with pride, having played with determination throughout their campaign.
The focus now shifts to the knockout stages as the competition intensifies, and Inter’s strong finish to the group stage positions them as one of the tournament favorites.
source:flashscore.com/news/football-fifa-club-world-cup
