Inter Milan struck twice in the final 18 minutes to claim a 2-0 win over River Plate on Wednesday, sealing top spot in Group E and sending the Argentines crashing out of the Club World Cup.
Sebastiano Esposito broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, just minutes after River were reduced to 10 men following Lucas Martínez Quarta’s straight red for hauling down Henrikh Mkhitaryan as the last man.
Alessandro Bastoni added the insurance goal deep into stoppage time to complete a composed performance from the Nerazzurri.
The result sees Inter move into the last 16, where they’ll face Brazilian side Fluminense in Charlotte on Monday.
Mexican side Monterrey also advance, finishing second in the group after thrashing Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0.
River’s frustrations boiled over in the dying moments, with Gonzalo Montiel also seeing red after picking up a second booking in a heated scuffle.
The 20-time Italian champions looked patient throughout, waiting for their moment to strike — and when River lost their composure, Inter capitalised clinically.
