Monterrey take on the visitors Inter in the round 1 match of FIFA Club World Cup. The match will be played on Wednesday, June 18th at Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA).
Monterrey are struggling even on home soil. Los Rayados have a strong continental pedigree, having won the CONCACAF Champions League multiple times, including in 2019 and 2021. However, their performances have dipped in recent seasons. The Apertura 2023 offered a potential breakthrough, but they fell short in the final. This year’s Clausura hasn't brought much joy either — Monterrey only finished 7th in the regular season. Although that earned them a playoff spot, they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Toluca, falling victim to the away goals rule after two narrow home wins (3-2 and 1-2). Since mid-May, they've had over a month of rest and preparation. Now all eyes are on what coach Domènec Torrent, who replaced Martín Demichelis just weeks ago, has been able to put together.
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Inter turned to Simone Inzaghi after financial issues forced out their Chinese ownership and Antonio Conte stepped away. That decision paid off, as the club collected several trophies, including a dominant Serie A title win last year. But ironically, Inzaghi’s former side, Lazio, played spoiler — snatching a draw in the penultimate round that kept Inter from reclaiming first place. There was also a crushing 0-3 defeat to Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals. Their season ended in bitter fashion with a brutal 0-5 loss to PSG in the Champions League final. Inzaghi has since left for Al Hilal and will make his debut in that role tomorrow. For Inter, ex-defender Cristian Chivu takes charge for the first time, making this match not just a tournament opener but the start of a new era.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Monterrey and Inter. After the humiliation in the Champions League final, Lautaro Martínez and company will be eager to bounce back. Expect Inter to respond strongly — back them to win with a -1 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Inter to win with -1.0 handicap.
