Mastantuono bids farewell to River Plate and this World Cup after the defeat against a solid Inter

After Inter Milan 's first two mediocre appearances at the Club World Cup , the Nerazzurri rediscovered their best form to beat a serious and intense River Plate and embrace the top spot in Group E. The first half was thus evenly matched and competitive, with great moves from Franco Mastantuono at the start , but in the second match the European runners-up imposed their dominance thanks to the exceptional Lautaro Martínez and Mkhitaryan . The match ended 2-0, with goals from Francesco Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni . Chivu 's men will face Fluminense in the round of 16, while Marcelo Gallardo 's men can now buy plane tickets to return to the Southern Cone. Mexican side Monterrey qualify as runners-up in this group and will play Borussia Dortmund in the next round.

With each World Cup matchday in which River Plate plays, it seems clearer that Real Madrid has signed a true player in Franco Mastantuono. The Argentine side's first minutes were very good in a frenetic game from the start , in step with the youngster's love of the ball when he had possession of it. They troubled the European runners-up's goal without success, showing great drive and knowing that scoring a goal was vital for qualification. Even more so if, in the other group match, they were determined to win against Sergio Ramos' Monterrey, as they ultimately did. The tenacity of Marcelo Gallardo's team was notable, but they lacked luck in front of goal.

Inter Milan shook off their dominance at the halfway point of the first half and began to approach Franco Armani's half. In fact, they did so with increasing danger, thanks to the attack generated by the incisive full-backs, Dumfries and Di Marco , the excellent ball handling of Mkhitaryan, and, above all, the runs and movements of Lautaro Martínez, who had a great match. The clearest chance fell to Esposito, Christian Chivu's choice to replace the injured Marcos Thuram . After a brilliant team move by Milan, the young Italian striker received the ball inside the box, but he missed the opportunity when it would have been much easier.

If it was strange that, given the intensity and chances, the match went into halftime with the scoreboard at Lumen Field still at zero, it was even more incredible that it still remained unchanged after the first fifteen minutes of the second half. Inter Milan had three impressive chances , the kind that cannot be forgiven. Two of them, with a post included, fell to Lautaro Martínez, and another missed by Mkhitaryan. Hard to believe, but the ball still didn't enter the net defended by Armani , who had a lot to do with it. Without a doubt, Chivu's team, despite having qualified thanks to the clear victory Monterrey had inflicted on Urawa Red in the other match, went all out to secure the three points and finish top of the group. They deserved the win, while the millionaires seemed powerless.

Things got even worse for the Argentinians in the 65th minute. Inter's hyperactive Armenian midfielder was running one-on-one towards Armani's goal when Martínez Quarta was practically forced to bring him down. Although the Argentinians argued that the opposing player wasn't exactly heading for the center of the box, the red card shown by Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev was entirely fair. And so, to put it in the words of Gabriel García Márquez , the chronicle of a death foretold began to be written : a great move by Petar Sučić , recently brought onto the Seattle pitch, allowed Francesco Esposito to score the 1-0. River Plate was left reeling, and, in reality, completely sunk.

Inter Milan could have wrapped things up sooner, but on the American afternoon they lacked some of the inspiration in front of goal that they had in their historic clash a couple of months ago against FC Barcelona. In fact, Mkhitaryan could have put the finishing touches to his excellent performance at Lumen Field with a goal if he hadn't sent his shot sky-high after dribbling past Armani. The one who did find the net was the excellent defender Alessandro Bastoni , with the opposing team completely high and in disarray, and in a counterattack that, with some luck, he could have finished with a shot. Thus concluded a very entertaining match .

With one win, one draw, and one loss, the historic Argentine club is saying goodbye sooner than expected, and Franco Mastantuono can now start packing his bags for his return to Chamartín, expected in August. It's not, by any means, the dream farewell for a player and a team that emulate the fortunes of the other Argentine team in the tournament, Boca Juniors , who also confirmed their early elimination in this group stage.

After Inter Milan 's first two mediocre appearances at the Club World Cup , the Nerazzurri rediscovered their best form to beat a serious and intense River Plate and embrace the top spot in Group E. The first half was thus evenly matched and competitive, with great moves from Franco Mastantuono at the start , but in the second match the European runners-up imposed their dominance thanks to the exceptional Lautaro Martínez and Mkhitaryan . The match ended 2-0, with goals from Francesco Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni . Chivu 's men will face Fluminense in the round of 16, while Marcelo Gallardo 's men can now buy plane tickets to return to the Southern Cone. Mexican side Monterrey qualify as runners-up in this group and will play Borussia Dortmund in the next round.