Inter Milan booked their spot in the Club World Cup last 16 with a hard-fought 2-0 win over River Plate at Lumen Field. Despite a rocky start, the Italian giants powered through with second-half brilliance to set up a knockout clash against Fluminense.
The game began with River Plate applying relentless pressure. The Argentinians dominated the opening 20 minutes, closing down every pass and forcing Inter into errors. But while their high press looked effective, they couldn’t translate their dominance into goals. Mastantuono’s long-range strike — easily saved by Yann Sommer — was their best effort.
As the first half wore on, Inter slowly found their rhythm. Barella, Dimarco, and Esposito created key chances, with Esposito seeing multiple shots blocked.
The tide shifted when Martinez Quarta received a red card for denying Henrikh Mkhitaryan a clear chance, reducing River to 10 men.
From there, Inter took full control. Lautaro Martinez hit the post before forcing a fine save, and finally, 19-year-old Francesco Pio Esposito broke the deadlock. He sprinted onto a slick through ball from Luka Sucic, shrugged off his marker, and coolly finished for his first senior Inter goal — on the world stage, no less.
In stoppage time, Alessandro Bastoni capped off the night with a dazzling solo effort, dribbling past defenders to score a rare but sensational goal.
While River Plate crash out, Inter advance to face Brazil’s Fluminense, knowing they must deliver a more convincing performance to continue their run.