SEATTLE, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Francesco Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni scored in the second half to lead Inter Milan to a 2-0 win over River Plate in Group E of the FIFA Club World Cup here on Wednesday, securing top spot and a place in the knockout stage.

Both teams created several chances during a tense and fast-paced first half, but neither side managed to find the net.

The turning point came in the 66th minute when River Plate's Lucas Martinez received a straight red card for a reckless challenge from behind on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Just six minutes later, 19-year-old forward Esposito calmly slotted home his first goal for the Italian giants, breaking the deadlock.

"It was a very intense game. Very well-balanced, especially in the half-time, but then we were playing better. For sure, it was a great team, great fans and I respect all of them," Esposito said

Central defender Bastoni sealed the win with a stoppage-time strike, shortly before River Plate was reduced to nine men as Gonzalo Montiel received a second yellow card and was sent off.

With the victory, Inter Milan topped Group E with seven points, two ahead of second-placed Monterrey, who defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on Wednesday. River Plate finished third with four points, while Urawa ended the group stage without a point.

"We got the job done, that's the most important thing," Inter manager Cristian Chivu said in the post-match conference.

"That game was very tough for us -- in the first half they had a lot of aggression, a lot of intensity. But in the second half we controlled the game better and in the end we won."

Inter Milan will face Brazil's Fluminense in the Round of 16, while Monterrey is set to take on Borussia Dortmund. ■