Inter Milan, Monterrey reach Club World Cup last 16 as River Plate crash out

Inter Milan advanced to the last 16 of the Club World Cup on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over nine-man River Plate, while Mexican side Monterrey also progressed after thrashing Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0.

River Plate, one of Argentina’s most storied clubs, were eliminated following the defeat at Seattle’s Lumen Field, where Lucas Martinez and Gonzalo Montiel were both sent off in a fiery encounter. Inter will next face Brazilian side Fluminense in Charlotte on Monday.

Francesco Esposito netted his first goal for Inter in the 72nd minute, six minutes after Martinez was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Alessandro Bastoni sealed the win late on, shortly before Montiel saw red for a second booking.

“In the first half we were surprised by their intensity, aggression and pressure,” said Inter coach Christian Chivu. “Then in the second half we raised our level… we’re strong, confident and have players who can play such a game.”

Tensions flared after the final whistle as River fans threw objects at Inter players leaving the pitch. River coach Marcelo Gallardo lamented the early exit, saying, “It’s a shame for all the people who came en masse to watch the team that we couldn’t give them the chance to keep going.”

Monterrey joined Inter in the knockout phase with an emphatic victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Nelson Deossa opened the scoring with a thunderous long-range strike, followed by goals from German Berterame and Jesus Corona before Berterame added his second late on.

“This is what we were looking for, we gave everything,” said Berterame, as Monterrey booked a showdown with Borussia Dortmund in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Dortmund claimed top spot in Group F after a 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan HD in sweltering conditions in Cincinnati. Daniel Svensson’s first-half strike proved decisive in front of just over 8,000 spectators, including US Vice President JD Vance and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“We can be satisfied. I think our performance was better than in the first two matches,” said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac, who highlighted the impact of the extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 43°C inside the stadium.

Fluminense progressed despite being held to a 0-0 draw by South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who were eliminated. All four Brazilian clubs at the tournament have now reached the knockout rounds, while none of the four African sides will appear in the last 16.

“We leave and go home with our heads up because we are much stronger than we were when we came here,” said Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso.

Looking ahead, Thursday will see Manchester City face Juventus in a Group G decider, while Real Madrid meet RB Salzburg aiming to secure progression from Group H.