Inter Milan scored two late goals to defeat River Plate 2–0 on Wednesday, securing their place in the knockout stage of the Club World Cup as Group E winners and sending the Argentine side crashing out of the tournament.

The breakthrough came 18 minutes from time when teenager Francesco Esposito fired home shortly after River Plate were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Lucas Martinez Quarta. Alessandro Bastoni then sealed the win deep into stoppage time.

The victory means Inter, 20-time Italian champions, will face Brazilian side Fluminense in the round of 16 on Monday in Charlotte. Meanwhile, Monterrey, who thrashed Urawa Red Diamonds 4–0, qualified as group runners-up, finishing one point ahead of River.

A fiercely contested match turned chaotic after Bastoni’s goal, with River’s Gonzalo Montiel receiving a second yellow card amid a flurry of confrontations. Tempers flared as players exited the pitch under a barrage of objects thrown by furious fans.

“We have the job done. We qualify for the further stage of this competition. We are pleased with that,” said Inter coach Cristian Chivu. “The game was very tough for us in the first half, River had a lot of aggression, a lot of intensity. In the second half, we controlled the game a little bit better and … after the red card it was much easier for us.”

Martinez Quarta was sent off for bringing down Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the last defender, and Inter capitalised just seven minutes later. Esposito controlled a pass from Petar Sucic, shifted the ball onto his right foot and rifled it into the net.

River, visibly drained, had no answer when Bastoni weaved through the backline and slotted in a low left-footed strike five minutes into stoppage time.

The atmosphere at Lumen Field was electric, with River’s travelling supporters creating a vibrant scene from kick-off. The opening stages were tense and full of effort but lacked end product until the final stretch.

Real Madrid-bound Franco Mastantuono was River’s standout player, producing several moments of brilliance, though only one of his attempts found the target. Esposito also spurned earlier chances, and Lautaro Martinez was notably wasteful, hitting the post during one of Inter’s clearest opportunities.

River’s Facundo Colidio had a golden chance to score in the 64th minute but headed straight at Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Moments later, Martinez Quarta’s red card prompted a tactical reshuffle, with Colidio subbed off as River’s hopes faded.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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