In a match brimming with late drama and attacking grit, Inter Milan clawed back from behind to snatch a 2-1 victory over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in a high-stakes FIFA Club World Cup Group E encounter on Saturday.
Urawa appeared set for an upset after Watanabe’s 11th-minute opener — a clinical side-footed finish following a dazzling solo run and assist by Takuro Kaneko. The Japanese side struck early against the run of play and mounted a resilient defensive effort for much of the game.
Inter Milan, however, turned the tide in the final stages. Lautaro Martinez ignited the comeback with a sublime 78th-minute volley off a Nicolo Barella corner — his second of the tournament and 24th in all competitions.
Just as the match looked headed for a draw, substitute Valentin Carboni etched his name into Inter folklore. Capitalising on a blocked shot in the second minute of stoppage time, the Argentine teen rifled home a low drive past Shusaku Nishikawa to seal all three points for the Italian giants.
The result propels Inter to the top of Group E with four points, ahead of Argentina’s River Plate, which faces CF Monterrey later in the day. Urawa, meanwhile, remains without a point and exits the competition.
From early heartbreak to late euphoria, the match delivered the kind of football drama Club World Cup fans live for, and Inter Milan’s last-gasp victory will surely go down as one of the tournament’s most riveting moments.
