Inter Milan edged out Argentinian giants River Plate in FIFA Club World Cup Group E final round of matches to qualify for the knockouts of the competition, MySportDab reports.
I Nerazzurri went into the game stuck on the same points (4) with the Argentinian side and sharing the top spot as well.
However, Mexican side Monterrey were breathing down their neck with just two points behind while basement boys Urawa Reds were the only side ruled out of the race for the next round.
The competitive rankings after the second round of matches set the stage for a poised and nervy final round of matches in the group.
Both Inter and River Plate went into the game on equal advantage and chance for a place in the next round. They needed at least a draw while counting on Urawa Reds to see out Monterrey.
However, should Monterrey come out with victory against the Asian and Japanese giants, either Inter or River Plate would need a win as well to qualify for the next round.
With the tight permutations, the game didn’t veer off expectations. It was a difficult affair from the start.
Inter slightly dominated proceedings, wielding 56% possession. They also fired more shots (16) but could only manage three on target – one better than their opponents.
A ding-dong first half saw both sides unable to find the back of the net with Inter slightly ahead of proceedings.
The second half was equally a tightly-contested affair with both sides unable to exert clear dominance on proceedings.
However, the balance of the game shifted in Inter’s favour when Martinez Quarta saw a straight red card five minutes after the hour mark, reducing River Plate to 10 men.
Esposito broke the deadlock just seven minutes after the red card, scoring to give Inter the lead.
Inter leveraged further their numerical advantage to seal the win late into stoppage time, thanks to Allesandro Bastoni’s strike.
It ended 2-0 in favor of the European representatives who qualified for the next round with River Plate crashing out of the competition as Monterrey won 4-0 against Urawa Reds in the other fixture.
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