Monterrey vs Inter Milan: Club World Cup Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

Following a devastating conclusion to the 2024–25 season, Italian powerhouse Inter Milan will face Monterrey in Pasadena on Tuesday to begin their Club World Cup campaign.

The Serie A and Champions League runner-up, eager to start over under new management, will face off against their Mexican rivals in Group E, which also includes River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Inter and Monterrey will face off in the enlarged Club World Cup, marking their first competitive encounter since 1994. Los Rayados, the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League champions, are one of two Liga MX teams participating in the tournament. Monterrey, with five domestic titles, has faced setbacks in the past, including losing out of the renamed Champions Cup to Vancouver Whitecaps and being knocked out of the Clausura quarterfinals by Toluca.

Argentine coach Martin Demichelis resigned, and Domenec Torrent, who had experience as an assistant with Manchester City and Barcelona, assumed control. The Nuevo Leonese club has bolstered its roster with seasoned La Liga veterans and substantial investment, making students confident about moving on from Group E.

This year's Club World Cup differs from previous years, as Inter Milan and Juventus, two long-time Italian rivals, are both participating. The Nerazzurri advanced to the 2023 Champions League final but lost narrowly to Manchester City. A 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain led to significant changes at the club, with Simón Bolivar taking a position in Saudi Arabia and Christian Chivu taking over for Inzaghi.

Inter, having won the Intercontinental Cup twice in the 1960s, has a rich history of success on the global stage, and there is faith in Chivu to rally a weary but gifted team and lead them to victory. They will face Monterrey in the Rose Bowl and the Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan before avoiding a humiliating early departure in the group stage.

Monterrey x Inter Milan Team News

Monterrey's offense is led by German striker Berterame, who made his international debut for El Tri last year. Notable players in Los Rayados include Sergio Ramos, Lucas Ocampos, Oliver Torres, and Sergio Canales. Ramos, 39, will lead the team from central defense and bring four Club World Cup victories to the table. Carlos Salcedo, another defender, is sidelined due to an injury. Canales, a playmaker, has contributed 31 goals and 16 assists since joining the team two years ago. Berterame will likely play alone up front.

Inter Milan faces a lot of movement up front, with none of their reserve attackers from the previous season available. Marko Arnautovic and Joaquin Correa have left on free transfers, while Mehdi Taremi remains in Iran due to ongoing airstrikes. Piotr Zielinski is also doubtful due to a calf injury. Sebastiano, Francesco Pio Esposito, Luis Henrique, and Petar Sucic are peripheral players who might benefit from their absences. Cristian Chivu is likely to start Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram in his favored 3-5-2 formation up front, with Martinez scoring 22 goals in all competitions last season.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 4.4 on Sky247.ng

Although both clubs suffered setbacks in domestic and European competitions, Inter's problems have been more severe, and the tired team still has a long way to go before it can be considered fully rebuilt.

The psychologically and physically exhausted Nerazzurri may be at their worst, allowing Monterrey an opportunity to gain experience and a crucial point to begin their Group E campaign.

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