Inter Milan advance as River Plate crash out in fiery clash

Inter Milan secured their place in the Club World Cup last 16 with a dramatic 2-0 victory over River Plate, in a match that saw the Argentine side finish with nine players and bow out of the tournament.

The turning point came in the 66th minute when River Plate's Lucas Martinez Quarta received a straight red card for denying Henrikh Mkhitaryan a clear goalscoring opportunity. This pivotal moment shifted momentum decisively in Inter's favor.

Youngster Francesco Esposito capitalized on the advantage, scoring his first senior goal for Inter with a composed finish to break the deadlock. The 19-year-old's milestone moment gave the Italian giants the lead they needed.

Inter sealed the victory in stoppage time when defender Alessandro Bastoni fired home a left-footed strike. The match ended in further controversy as River Plate's Gonzalo Montiel received his second yellow card during a series of late-game altercations.

The victory sets up an intriguing last-16 clash for Inter against Brazilian side Fluminense on Monday at 20:00 BST. Manager Cristian Chivu expressed satisfaction with his team's performance: "We've done our job and qualified for the next stage. The first half was very tough against River's aggressive play, but we controlled the second half better and the red card made things easier."

In the group's other decisive match, Monterrey claimed second place in Group E with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Urawa Red Diamonds. The Mexican side will face Borussia Dortmund in the knockout stage on Wednesday, 2 July at 02:00 BST.