Inter Milan was held to a 1-1 draw by Monterrey in the Club World Cup opener Tuesday night in the Italian power’s first match since losing the Champions League final.
Veteran Spanish star Sergio Ramos scored on a stunning first-half header for Monterrey, delighting the decidedly pro-Mexico crowd in Southern California for Monterrey coach Domènec Torrent’s own debut.
Lautaro Martinez evened it late in the first half for Inter, but the Champions League finalists couldn’t generate a second goal despite having nearly 62% possession while Monterrey got only one shot on target.
Inter manager Cristian Chivu made his debut as the Nerazzurri returned to competition at the Rose Bowl just 17 days after taking that 5-0 thrashing from Paris Saint-Germain in Munich.
After the 39-year-old Ramos put Los Rayados ahead, Martínez answered in the 42nd minute with a tap-in of Carlos Augusto’s pass after a world-class sequence of ball movement from a setpiece.
Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez scored his team’s only goal on the night against Monterrey. (Photo by Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Martínez thought he scored again in the 68th minute, but was offside. Both teams narrowly missed goals in the final minutes, and Martínez picked up a yellow card in second-half injury time.
Chivu started only seven of Simone Inzaghi’s choices for the Champions League final. Ailing striker Marcus Thuram came on early in the second half to replace 22-year-old Sebastiano Esposito, who started his first game back from seven loan stints since his previous appearance for Inter in 2020.
“We always respect our opponents, and we know football isn’t always written on paper. For most of this match, we created quite a few chances, but at this moment, we don’t have much energy,” Chivu said.
Inter carried play early, but Ramos capitalized on Monterrey’s first corner kick by outjumping two defenders and converting an acrobatic header. The Real Madrid stalwart and World Cup winner joined Monterrey four months ago.
“There is always a joy to contribute to the team by scoring, but if we can get points, that’s even better. We played very well as a team. Of course, football showcases the goal, but we’re here to share this experience,” Ramos said.
Inter still hasn’t shaken off the disappointment in Munich, but both teams now have a good chance to advance from a group also including River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds.
Ramos can still summon greatness in the twilight of his career. The matchless center back will also throw out the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers game on Wednesday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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