Inter Milan Triumphs in a Thrilling Comeback Against Urawa Red Diamonds

Inter Milan kept their aspirations for a Club World Cup triumph alive by staging a dramatic comeback to secure a last-minute victory against Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle. The Japanese side looked poised for an upset with Ryoma Watanabe’s 11th-minute strike, but a spectacular overhead kick from Lautaro Martinez and a stoppage-time goal from Valentin Carboni saw Inter Milan eliminate Urawa from the tournament.

Under the guidance of Cristian Chivu, following Simone Inzaghi’s recent departure, Inter dominated the first half. However, they were punished for failing to follow Watanabe’s run, allowing him to finish off a swift counter-attack with an accurate low shot.

Despite Inter captain Martinez’s attempt that rattled the crossbar eight minutes later, the team’s finishing was largely lackluster, with all nine shots in the first half going astray.

In the second half, Inter intensified their offensive efforts with 12 shots, including a missed opportunity by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Urawa, despite missing out on the AFC Champions League this season, showed resilience, defending steadfastly while posing a counter-attack threat, exemplified by Watanabe’s missed chance from a five-on-three advantage with 20 minutes remaining.

Their defense held strong until the 77th minute, when Martinez executed a stunning overhead kick from a corner to level the score. As Urawa struggled to maintain their defense, Inter substitute Carboni capitalized on a rebound deep into stoppage time, igniting jubilant celebrations.