With plenty of excitement until the final minutes, Inter Milan came from behind to beat Urawa Reds 2-1 this Saturday (21), in a match valid for the second round of the Club World Cup group stage. Even pushed by the local fans, who chanted in the South American “poropopó” style, the Japanese club saw the Italians react in the final stretch and confirm the comeback.
The result brings Inter to 4 points in Group E and practically guarantees the team a place in the quarterfinals. Urawa, on the other hand, with two losses, says goodbye to its chances of qualifying. The group also includes River Plate and Monterrey, who face each other this Saturday at 10 pm (Brasília time).
⚽ How the game went
Just 11 minutes into the first half, the Japanese took the lead with a beautiful goal by Watanabe, after an engaging play by Kaneko, who applied a “nut” to Carlos Augusto before serving his teammate with freedom inside the area.
Inter tried to react by dominating possession, but faced strong marking from Urawa, which made it difficult to build up an attack. The best chance of the first half came from Lautaro Martínez, who headed the ball dangerously against the crossbar.
The situation remained tense in the second half. Inter were looking for an equalizer with intensity, while Urawa relied on fast counterattacks — and almost extended their lead with Matsuo and Watanabe wasting good opportunities.
The equalizer only came in the 33rd minute of the second half, in great style. Lautaro, almost lying down inside the area, hit a spectacular bicycle kick to tie the match and lift the Italian fans in the stadium.
The comeback came in the final minutes. After a rebound in the area, Valentín Carboni, who had come on in the second half, showed opportunism and finished into the back of the net: 2-1 for the Nerazzurri.
🔥 Goals and highlights
11' 1st half – Watanabe (URW): Received a free kick after a play by Kaneko and finished into Sommer's corner.
33' 2nd half – Lautaro (INT): With a bicycle kick almost from the ground, the Argentine scored a great goal and tied the game.
40' 2nd half – Carboni (INT): Took advantage of a rebound inside the area and sealed the comeback.
🧠 Analysis: from drama to redemption
Despite being the favorites, Inter struggled to impose their style. Coach Cristian Chivu made some good changes in the second half and saw his reserves win the match. Urawa, on the other hand, brave and organized, showed that they can compete at a high level, even without big stars.
The atmosphere was also remarkable: the Japanese fans got excited with chants adapted to the famous "poropopó" of the South American stands, creating a unique atmosphere in the stadium.
📅 What's next
In the last round of the group stage, the clashes will be decisive:
Urawa x Monterrey
Inter Milan x River Plate
Both will take place next Wednesday (24), at 10 pm (Brasília time). Inter plays for a draw to guarantee the spot; River still dreams of the leadership.
🧩 Technical details
🗓 Date: 06/21/2025
🏆 Competition: Club World Cup – Group Stage
📍 Stadium: (name not provided)
⏱ Result: Inter Milan 2x1 Urawa Reds
⚫ Inter Milan: Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Carlos Augusto; Luis Henrique (Petar Sucic), Barella, Asllani (Carboni), Dimarco (Bastoni); Sebastiano Esposito (Francesco Esposito), Zalewski (Mkhitaryan), Lautaro. Coach: Cristian Chivu
🔴 Urawa Reds: Nishikawa; Ishihara, Boza, Hoibraten, Naganuma (Ogiwara); Gustafson (Haraguchi), Yasui, Kaneko (Sekine), Savio (Thiago Santana); Watanabe, Matsuo (Matsumoto).
Coach: Maciej Skorza
Português
