Heading into the final Group E matches of the Club World Cup, both River Plate and Inter face a crucial showdown in Seattle on Wednesday night. With both teams level on four points after drawing against Monterrey and securing wins against Urawa Red Diamonds in their opening two fixtures, a defeat could prove fatal. Should the Mexicans defeat the already-eliminated Japanese side in their simultaneous match, the loser of the River Plate vs Inter clash will be eliminated from the tournament.
A victory for Monterrey would see them advance to five points, amplifying the pressure on the match at Lumen Field. A draw between River Plate and Inter would also result in both teams reaching five points. In this scenario, River Plate would secure qualification regardless of the other result, thanks to their superior goal difference from beating Urawa 3-1 compared to Inter`s narrow 2-1 win (sealed by Valentin Carboni`s late goal). Inter could still qualify with a draw if Monterrey wins, but only if Monterrey`s victory is by a single goal margin. Even then, qualification might hinge on overall goals scored or, in a worst-case scenario, disciplinary records.
Confused yet? Wednesday night promises to be a tense affair!
Predicted Lineups
River Plate: Franco Armani; Gonzalo Montiel, Lucas Martinez Quarta, Paulo Diaz, Marcos Acuna; Kevin Castano, Enzo Perez, Giuliano Galoppo; Franco Mastantuano, Facundo Colidio, Maximiliano Meza
Inter: Yann Sommer; Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Kristjan Asslani, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram
Player to Watch
Franco Mastantuano, River Plate: This match could potentially be one of Franco Mastantuano`s last appearances in a River Plate shirt. The highly-rated 17-year-old Argentine prospect is reportedly on his way to Real Madrid after this tournament. While he showed flashes against Urawa Red Diamonds, he struggled to make an impact in River`s subsequent draw against Monterrey. Now is his chance to demonstrate the talent that Europe is eagerly anticipating.
Storyline to Watch
Will Chivu maintain the Inzaghi blueprint? Since taking over from Simone Inzaghi (now managing Al-Hilal), Cristian Chivu has shown glimpses of tactical variation but has largely adhered to a back-three formation. However, Inter`s performances haven`t been inspiring; the team appears to be suffering a hangover after missing out on the Scudetto and the Champions League. The critical decision for Chivu now is whether to introduce changes to shake the team out of its slump or stick to the established, albeit recently uninspiring, system with the stakes so high.
Prediction
Expect this match to be characterized more by tension and caution than free-flowing quality. Ultimately, Inter are likely to find a way to secure the result they need.
PICK: River Plate 1, Inter 2
