Club World Cup: Dortmund pulls off a tenacious victory, Inter advances to the Round of 16


It took two late goals for Inter Milan to finally break down River Plate in a 2-0 win and book their spot in the knockout stages of the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday.

River Plate’s hopes were derailed in the 66th minute when centre-back Lucas Martínez Quarta was sent off. A poor touch while receiving a back-pass allowed Inter’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan to pounce, and Quarta’s last-man foul earned him a straight red card.

With a man advantage, Inter began to turn the screws. Nineteen-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito broke the deadlock with a clinical finish from inside the box. Soon after, Alessandro Bastoni doubled the lead, surging from midfield and calmly slotting home to seal the win.

River Plate’s night worsened in stoppage time when Gonzalo Montiel received a second yellow and was sent off.

Inter will now face Brazilian side Fluminense in the Round of 16 on Monday in Charlotte.

Joining Inter from Group E is Monterrey, captained by Sergio Ramos, who breezed past Urawa Reds with a 4-0 victory. German Berterame netted twice, while Jesús Corona and Nelson Deossa also found the target in a dominant display that saw three goals scored between the 30th and 40th minutes.

Borussia Dortmund also progressed with a 1-0 win over South Korea’s Ulsan HD FC. The German side controlled possession and fired 11 shots on target. Daniel Svensson scored the lone goal in the 33rd minute, assisted by Jobe Bellingham.

Svensson expressed his delight after the match: “We created more chances than in our previous games. We dominated.”

Coach Niko Kovač echoed that sentiment, adding: “We only scored once because their goalkeeper was excellent, but we were the better side throughout the first half.”

Dortmund will face Monterrey in the knockout round.


 

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