Inter Milan triumphed 2-0 against River Plate, securing a spot in the Club World Cup's round of 16 as group winners. Initially expected to progress as runners-up, the team's fortunes changed in the second half. With key plays leading to goals from Francesco Pio Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni, Inter capitalized on River Plate's reduced squad after two red cards. This victory marked a successful group stage for Inter, who will face Fluminense next, while River's early exit added disappointment to their campaign.
Lucas Martinez Quarta was shown a straight red card in the 66th minute after sliding in as the last man on the back of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, which opened some much-needed space for Inter.
Petar Sucic slid a lovely throughball into Esposito in the box, and the 19-year-old coolly stepped away from his marker to guide his first Inter goal into the bottom-right corner.
Bastoni skipped over two sliding challenges to fire the goal that sealed all three points under the goalkeeper in stoppage time, finishing the match strong for Inter.
Inter go through as group winners on seven points, having enjoyed an unbeaten group stage, and will face Fluminense in the last 16.
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