Preview: Inter Milan vs. River Plate - prediction, team news, lineups

Locked together on four points in Club World Cup Group E, River Plate and Inter Milan engage in a straight shootout for first place at Lumen field on Wednesday.

The beaten Champions League finalists got up and running at the second attempt against Urawa Red Diamonds, while their South American foes played out a goalless draw with Monterrey on matchday two but still lead the way.

Match preview

The second time was the charm for newly-appointed Inter coach Cristian Chivu, whose inaugural match in charge of the Nerazzurri ended in frustration against Monterrey, and it was oh so nearly an identical tale against Urawa.

The Serie A powerhouses were rocked by Ryoma Watanabe's 11th-minute opener and failed to find a response before half time, but skipper Lautaro Martinez did what he does best before two substitutes combined for a bedlam-inducing winner.

Nineteen-year-old Francesco Pio Esposito teed up Valentin Carboni to nonchalantly sweep the ball into the far side of the net, thus putting Inter's knockout fate firmly in their own hands as they won for the first time since their Champions League capitulation at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

Two points clear of Monterrey and four better off than already-eliminated Urawa, a score draw will see Inter through to the last 16, while a victory will propel them into the knockout rounds as group winners, no doubt the pre-tournament expectation for the Nerazzurri.

At the time of writing, Inter coming up trumps in Group E would put them on course for a blockbuster last-16 battle with Borussia Dortmund - currently occupying second spot in Group F - but Chivu's side cannot concern themselves with hypotheticals while qualification is not yet rubber-stamped.

In the exact same boat as their Nerazzurri neighbours, River Plate are in control of their knockout destiny and currently occupy the gold medal position thanks to a marginally superior goal difference.

Besting Inter by one strike when it came to wins over Urawa specifically - defeating the Japanese outfit 3-1 in their opening tie - the Argentinians failed to work their attacking magic against Sergio Ramos's Monterrey over the weekend.

It was not for a lack of trying from River Plate, who registered 1.68 Expected Goals (xG) to Monterrey's 0.13 and fired 18 shots all in all, but Franco Mastantuono and co could not find the all-important breakthrough.

Nevertheless, Marcelo Gallardo's team are also safe in the knowledge that a victory or score draw will do the trick, and even a defeat will not impact their top-two standing if Monterrey also fail to beat Urawa in midweek.

Losing just one of their last 19 competitive matches stands River Plate in good stead, but their only previous scrap with an Italian outfit ended in misery, a 1-0 loss to Juventus in the 1996 Intercontinental Cup final; current head coach Gallardo was on the bench that day,

Inter Milan Club World Cup form:

DW

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

WDWLDW

River Plate Club World Cup form: 

WD

River Plate form (all competitions):

WWLDWD

Team News

The Inter infirmary is still well-occupied three games in, as Hakan Calhanoglu (thigh), Denzel Dumfries (muscle), Davide Frattesi (muscle), Marcus Thuram (flexor), Piotr Zielinski (calf), Benjamin Pavard (unspecified) and Yann Bisseck (thigh) all missed the win over Urawa on matchday two.

However, Dumfries, Calhanoglu and Frattesi are supposedly winning their battles to be fit for the showdown in Seattle, while the others will be spared until the knockout rounds, if the Nerazzurri make it that far.

Regardless, Chivu can also recall some well-rested star names in the form of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alessandro Bastoni, while Sebastiano Esposito - the older brother of Francesco - should continue to fill Thuram's boots up front.

On River Plate's end, no fewer than three players have fallen foul of the rule book; midfield trio Kevin Castano, Enzo Perez and Giuliano Galoppo are all suspended for this critical fixture.

Castano was sent off for a pair of bookable offences against Monterrey, while Perez and Galoppo both picked up their second bookings of the competition, enough for a one-match ban.

Gallardo will therefore have to completely alter the make-up of his engine room, but Real Madrid-bound teenager Mastantuono will reprise his role on the right as ever.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; De Vrij, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Esposito, Martinez

River Plate possible starting lineup:

Armani; Montiel, Martinez Quarta, Diaz; Acuna; Fernandez, Kranevitter, Aliendro; Mastantuono, Colidio, Meza

We say: Inter Milan 1-0 River Plate

River Plate could and should be sitting two points clear of Inter at the summit of Group E, but their lack of ruthlessness let them down against Monterrey, and the pre-game signs are not promising for the Argentines.

Gallardo must rejig his entire midfield, while Inter are set to welcome back a handful of integral cogs, so first place is there for the taking for the Nerazzurri.

Written by
Ben Knapton

Previews by email