On Wednesday night in Seattle, River Plate and Inter Milan will meet in a crucial final Group E match at the Club World Cup. Both teams are level on four points, having drawn against Monterrey and defeated Urawa Red Diamonds in their opening two fixtures. They understand that a victory for Monterrey in their concurrent game against the already eliminated Urawa could jeopardize their own qualification hopes.
If Monterrey wins, they would reach five points, intensifying the pressure on the River Plate vs. Inter match at Lumen Field. A draw between River Plate and Inter would also result in both teams finishing with five points. Regardless of the other result, this would guarantee qualification for the Argentines, who beat Urawa 3-1, a better goal difference than Inter`s narrow 2-1 win secured by a late goal from Valentin Carboni. Inter could still advance with a draw even if Monterrey wins, but only if Monterrey`s victory is by a single goal margin. In very tight scenarios, tiebreakers like goals scored or even disciplinary records might become decisive.
Confusing, right? The complexity of the group stage situation highlights the high stakes for Wednesday night`s encounter!
Last Meeting
This upcoming game marks the first competitive encounter between River Plate and Inter Milan.
Predicted Lineups
- River Plate: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Paulo Diaz, Marcos Acuna; Kevin Castano, Enzo Perez, Giuliano Galoppo; Franco Mastantuano, Facundo Colidio, Maximiliano Meza
- Inter: Yann Sommer; Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Kristjan Asslani, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram
Player to Watch
Franco Mastantuano, River Plate: This match might be the last time the highly-rated 17-year-old Argentine sensation features for River Plate before his anticipated move to Real Madrid. Despite a quiet tournament so far after a promising start against Urawa and struggles against Monterrey, this is his key opportunity to demonstrate his potential to a wider European audience.
Storyline to Watch
Chivu`s Tactical Approach: Since taking over from Simone Inzaghi (now at Al-Hilal), Cristian Chivu has shown hints of tactical variation but has mostly maintained a back-three formation. Inter`s recent performances have lacked inspiration, suggesting the team needs a spark after the disappointment of missing out on domestic and European titles last season. A key question is whether Chivu will introduce tactical changes in this high-stakes match or rely on the team`s established setup.
Prediction
This game is likely to be tense rather than free-flowing, with Inter potentially finding a way to secure the necessary result.
Predicted Score: River Plate 1, Inter Milan 2
Adrian Whitmore