Inter Milan needed every ounce of resilience and a touch of late magic, to edge past Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 in stoppage time, keeping their Club World Cup dream alive in dramatic fashion on a chilly night in Seattle.
Trailing after just 11 minutes, Inter looked destined for frustration until Lautaro Martínez and 20-year-old Valentin Carboni produced two moments of brilliance to snatch victory at the death.
Urawa struck early through Ryoma Watanabe, who ghosted into space and slotted home from Takuro Kaneko’s clever cutback. It was a shock to the system for Inter, who dominated possession but struggled to find incision in the first half.
Cristian Chivu’s side completed over 400 passes before the break and monopolised 83% of the ball, but their movement lacked bite. Urawa defended deep, switching to a compact 6-2-2 that absorbed Inter’s pedestrian build-up.
Nicolo Barella dropped deep to trigger attacks, but the midfield trio couldn’t find the rhythm to break through. The ball was recycled around the back, with little verticality or purpose.
Martínez changed that. With 12 minutes to play, he met Barella’s corner with a spectacular overhead finish, a reminder of why Inter still lean heavily on their captain during this transitional phase.
Just when it looked like the Serie A giants would settle for a draw, Carboni delivered. Subbed on late, he latched onto Francesco Esposito’s clever pass in the second minute of stoppage time and fired low into the corner.
It was a dramatic end to what had been a flat display for long spells. But for Chivu who is only 12 days into the job and grappling with injuries and fatigue in Inter’s 61st match of the season, it was a priceless win.
