Inter Milan, under newly appointed head coach Cristian Chivu, head into this FIFA Club World Cup match after drawing their first match 1-1 against Mexican side Monterrey at the Rose Bowl Stadium, with their Argentine striker, Lautaro Martinez, scoring for The Nerazzurri.
In this encounter, they are expected to dominate possession and create chances, having averaged 15 shots per game in their recent competitive outings, as we covered on our Italian Serie A category of our football facts website.
Urawa Red Diamonds, winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League, have struggled for consistency in the 2025 J1 League, sitting in fourth place with nine wins, seven draws, and five losses from 21 matches. They’ve scored 26 goals while conceding 20, managing six clean sheets. Their attacking midfielder, Ryoma Watanabe, who netted six goals in 16 J1 League games this season, will be key to unlocking Inter’s backline.
Historically, Inter and Urawa have met once in a 2004 friendly, but this will be their first competitive clash. Inter’s experience in high-stakes European competitions gives them an edge, but Urawa’s continental pedigree, having reached the Club World Cup four times, gives them the potential to cause an upset.
Chivu’s side has been inconsistent on neutral or away grounds, winning just two of their last five such matches, though they’ve drawn twice. Their captain, Lautaro Martínez, remains a global star, capable of deciding games single-handedly despite a quieter 2024/25 season compared to his prolific 2023-24 campaign.
Urawa, meanwhile, have recorded just one victory in their last five games in all competitions. Their defensive resilience will be tested against Inter’s dynamic attack, particularly through wing-backs Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, who stretch defences with their relentless runs.
Inter Milan FIFA Club World Cup form:
- vs CF Monterrey 1-1 (D) 18/06/25
Internazionale form (all competitions):
• L (N) 0-5 against PSG (Champions League) 31/05/25
• W (A) 2-0 against Como (Serie A) 23/05/25
• W (A) 2-0 against Torino (Serie A) 11/05/25
• D (A) 3-3 against Barcelona (Champions League) 30/04/25
• L (A) 0-1 against Bologna (Serie A) 20/04/25
Urawa Red Diamonds FIFA Club World Cup form:
- vs River Plate 1-3 (L) 17/06/25
Urawa Red Diamonds form (all competitions):
• W (H) 2-1 against Yokohama (J1L)
• D (H) 0-0 against Cerezo (J1L)
• L (A) 1-2 against Nagoya (J1L)
• D (A) 2-2 against Kawasaki (J1L)
• W (H) 3-2 against Tokyo (J1L)
Team News
Inter Milan: Chivu is likely to field a strong XI, with Lautaro Martínez leading the line, supported by Marcus Thuram. Midfielders Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoğlu are expected to control the tempo, while Dimarco and Dumfries should start as wing-backs. Centre-backs Alessandro Bastoni and Stefan de Vrij are set to anchor the defence, with Yann Sommer in goal. There are no major injury concerns, though Chivu may rotate one or two players given the tight schedule.
Urawa Red Diamonds: Urawa’s attacking midfielder, Ryoma Watanabe, their top scorer in 2025, is a guaranteed starter. They may deploy a compact 4-2-3-1 to counter Inter’s fluidity, with wingers tasked with exploiting spaces behind Inter’s wing-backs. Defensively, they’ll rely on their centre-back pairing to contain Martínez. No significant injuries have been reported, but fatigue from their recent J1 League schedule could be a factor.
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martínez
Urawa Red Diamonds possible starting lineup:
Nishikawa; Naganuma, Høibråten, Danilo Boza, Ishihara; Yasui, Gustafson; Watanabe, Matheus Savio, Kaneko; Matsuo
We Say: Inter Milan 2-0 Urawa Red Diamonds
Inter’s superior squad depth and tactical discipline should see them through, even if Urawa’s compact setup frustrates them early. The Nerazzurri’s attacking firepower, led by Martínez and Thuram, is likely to overwhelm Urawa’s defence over 90 minutes. A clean sheet is plausible given Inter’s defensive solidity against non-European sides.
