Inter Miami face River Plate on Matchday 3 of Group E at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
Group E of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be decided this Wednesday night, when all four teams play their final matches and the group standings are finalized. On one side, Monterrey will take on Urawa Red Diamonds at the Rose Bowl, while at the same time, Inter Milan and River Plate clash at Lumen Field in Seattle.
River Plate come into this match as Group E leaders with 4 points, following a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds in their opener and a 0-0 draw against Monterrey last Saturday. Despite their strong position, they have not yet secured a place in the round of 16 and will need to earn it on the field.
After losing the UEFA Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain and parting ways with coach Simone Inzaghi—who left for Al Hilal—Inter Milan had a rocky start to the tournament. They unexpectedly drew 1-1 with Monterrey, then edged out a last-minute win over Urawa Red Diamonds.
That result leaves the Italian side tied on points with River (4), but trailing on goal differential (+2 vs +1). However, the tournament’s unique tiebreak rules mean this may not ultimately determine the final standings.
What happens if Inter Milan beat River Plate?
A win for Inter Milan over River Plate tonight would not only guarantee them a spot in the round of 16 but also give them the top spot in Group E with 7 points. River Plate would remain at 4 points, having to battle Monterrey for the second qualifying position.
In this scenario, Inter Milan would face the runner-up from Group F in the round of 16, which could be Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, or Mamelodi Sundowns. That match is scheduled for Monday, June 30 at 3 PM (ET) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
What happens if Inter Milan draw with River Plate?
Much like a win, a draw is enough for Inter Milan to advance, regardless of the result between Monterrey and LAFC. That’s because both the Italian and Argentine clubs would finish with 5 points, while Monterrey can only reach 4 at best.
However, in this scenario, Inter Milan would finish behind River Plate on goal differential (+2 vs +1). Instead of playing the second-place team from Group F, they would face the group winner in the round of 16 on Tuesday, July 1 at 9 PM (ET) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
What happens if Inter Milan lose to River Plate?
If Inter Milan lose to River, they will finish with 4 points and their fate in the Club World Cup will depend on the Monterrey result. If LAFC manage to win or draw, Monterrey will be eliminated. But if Monterrey win, things get more complicated, as they would also reach 4 points.
Tournament rules state that in the case of teams tied on points, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head results—looking at points, goal differential, and goals scored, in that order. But this won’t help here, as Inter Milan and Monterrey drew their match 1-1.
The tiebreaker will then come down to overall goal differential and goals scored across the group stage. In that case, Monterrey would have the advantage, since a win over LAFC would give them at least a +1 differential, while a loss to River would leave Inter Milan with a maximum of 0. In short, a loss for Inter Milan combined with a win for Monterrey would eliminate the Italian side.
From: bolavip.com
