Club World Cup Clash: River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds in Group E Showdown

In an exciting start to the Club World Cup, River Plate will face Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in a Group E match. River Plate, a prestigious club in South American football, embarks on their journey in the tournament after securing their spot through FIFA’s CONMEBOL club rankings. Their journey began when they advanced to the round of 16 in the 2024 Copa Libertadores, thus cementing their place in the competition. This marks River Plate’s return to the tournament since their victory over Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final granted them entry into the 2019 edition. Meanwhile, Urawa Red Diamonds, a top team in Japan, booked their ticket to the Club World Cup as the 2022 AFC Champions League victors. Though considered one of the weaker teams in the group, this is the third Club World Cup appearance for the Red Diamonds, with a commendable fourth-place finish in a previous iteration. Alongside the participation of Inter Milan and Liga MX side Monterrey, River Plate is favored to start strong against their Japanese opponent, who are viewed as the group’s underdog.

Match Details: - When: Tuesday, June 17 - Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, United States - Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST - Referee: Felix Zwayer - Head-to-Head Record: This will be the first competitive encounter between these two clubs.

Current Form (All Competitions): - River Plate: 1-1 vs. Universitario de Deportes (27/05/25), 1-1 vs. Club Atlético Platense (20/05/25), 6-2 vs. Independiente del Valle (15/05/25), 3-0 vs. Barracas Central (12/05/25), 3-2 vs. Barcelona SC (08/05/25) - Urawa Red Diamonds: 2-1 vs. Yokohama FC (01/06/25), 0-0 vs. Cerezo Osaka (28/05/25), 1-2 vs. Nagoya Grampus (24/05/25), 2-2 vs. Kawasaki (21/05/25), 3-2 vs. FC Tokyo (17/05/25)

Viewing Information: - Country: United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Mexico - Platform: DAZN

Team News & Predicted Lineups:

River Plate enters this crucial match with the squad largely intact. Notably, Franco Mastantuono is set to participate in his final matches for River Plate before joining Real Madrid. The defensive line will feature 2022 FIFA World Cup Champions, including goalkeeper Franco Armani, and fullbacks Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña. Midfield mainstays Enzo Pérez and Kevin Castaño remain unchanged, while all eyes are on the young talent Mastantuono, who will likely make a significant impact.

River Plate Predicted Lineup (4-3-3): - Goalkeeper: Armani - Defense: Montiel, Martínez Quarta, Díaz, Acuña - Midfield: Castaño, Pérez, Fernández - Attack: Mastantuono, Driussi, Colidio

For Urawa Red Diamonds, Polish manager Maciej Skorża will lead the team, hoping to spring surprises as the underdogs. The defensive responsibilities fall on Swedish center-back Marius Høibråten, while Ryōma Watanabe stands out as their pivotal attacking midfielder.

Urawa Red Diamonds Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): - Goalkeeper: Nishikawa - Defense: Ishihara, Boza, Høibråten, Ogiwara - Midfield: Yasui, Gustafson - Attack: Kaneko, Watanabe, Savio, Matsuo

Score Prediction: In what is expected to be a challenging match, River Plate is tipped to dominate. However, breaking through a disciplined Urawa defense may prove difficult. Anticipate goals from Mastantuono and Franco Colidio, propelling Gallardo’s squad to victory.