Inter Milan secured their spot in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-0 victory over River Plate on Wednesday night. Francesco Pio Esposito scored in the 72nd minute, while Alessandro Bastoni added a stoppage-time goal to complete the win.
The match turned in Inter’s favor when River Plate’s Lucas Martínez Quarta received a red card in the 66th minute for bringing down Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was charging toward goal. Just before the sending-off, River nearly took the lead through Facundo Colidio, but Yann Sommer made a crucial save.
Esposito’s goal came shortly after the red card, giving Inter a 1-0 lead. His precise finish capitalized on Inter’s numerical advantage. Then, in the 93rd minute, Bastoni struck from outside the box with his left foot, putting the result beyond doubt in front of more than 45,000 fans.
With this win, Inter Milan topped Group E with seven points. Monterrey finished second with five points after a 4-0 win against Urawa Red Diamonds. River Plate ended third with four points, while Urawa failed to register a single point in the group stage.
