Fluminense Stuns Inter Milan with Commanding 2-0 Victory to Eliminate Champions League Finalists from Club World Cup
Fluminense achieved a stunning upset in the Club World Cup knockout stage, beating Inter Milan 2-0 to secure their place in the quarterfinals.
The Brazilian side showed attacking intent from the opening whistle and grabbed an early advantage just three minutes in. Jhon Arias delivered a cross that deflected upward, causing Yann Sommer and Inter's defensive line to misread the trajectory, which allowed Germán Cano to walk into the penalty area unchallenged and nod home the opening goal from short range.
Despite Inter Milan controlling the ball for large portions of the opening period, El Flu appeared to be the more threatening team, with Arias repeatedly demonstrating his skill to generate several hazardous opportunities.
The pattern remained largely unchanged in the second period. Renato Gaúcho organized El Flu in a formation that nearly mirrored Christian Chivu's approach, packing the defense and stifling Inter, who appeared lacking in imagination—similar to how the Italians had frustrated their own opponents throughout much of the previous campaign.
The Nerazzurri gradually began to increase their intensity while searching for a leveling goal. Lautaro Martínez became more involved and posed a threat, but between the woodwork and goalkeeper Fabio, El Toro was prevented from bringing Inter back on level terms.
Fluminense defended with determination and grit, and ultimately, deep into added time, Hércules found himself with plenty of space, took several touches, and unleashed a strike into the lower corner to seal a memorable triumph for El Flu against the Champions League runners-up.
The Rio de Janeiro club will progress to the quarterfinal round while Inter Milan will head back to Italy, where Chivu's squad will face harsh criticism.
Individual player assessments from Fluminense's victory are listed below.
Inter Milan Player Ratings vs. Fluminense (3-5-2)
Ratings provided by FotMob
Position / Players | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Yann Sommer | 4.5 |
CB: Matteo Darmian | 6.2 |
CB: Stefan de Vrij | 7.4 |
CB: Alessandro Bastoni | 6.3 |
RWB: Denzel Dumfries | 5.9 |
CM: Nicolo Barella | 7.2 |
CM: Kristjan Asllani | 6.8 |
CM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan | 6.2 |
LWB: Federico Dimarco | 7.5 |
ST: Marcus Thuram | 6 |
ST: Lautaro Martínez | 6.9 |
SUB: Valentín Carboni (53' for Mkhitaryian) | 6.6 |
SUB: Petar Sučić (53' for Asllani) | 6.6 |
SUB: Luís Henrique (53' for Dumfries) | 6.2 |
SUB: Sebastiano Esposito (66' for Thuram) | 6.4 |
SUB: Carlos Augusto (71' for Bastoni) | 6.6 |
Fluminense Player Ratings vs. Inter Milan (3-4-1-2)
Ratings provided by FotMob
Position / Players | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Fabio | 8.4 |
CB: Ignácio | 7.8 |
CB: Thiago Silva | 8 |
CB: Juan Pablo Freytes | 7.2 |
RWB: Samuel Xavier | 6.8 |
CM: Martinelli | 6.6 |
CM: Facundo Bernal | 7.3 |
LWB: Renê | 7.4 |
AM: Nonato | 6.4 |
ST: Jhon Arias | 7.9 |
ST: Germán Cano | 7.5 |
SUB: Hércules (61' for Martinelli) | 7.5 |
SUB: Vinícius Lima (61' for Nonato) | 6.1 |
SUB: Everaldo (66' for Cano) | 6.2 |
SUB: Thiago Santos (81' for Bernal) | N/A |
Player of the Match: Fabio (Fluminense)