Urawa Reds (Japan) suffered a comeback loss to Inter Milan (Italy) and was eliminated from the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Urawa lost 1-2 to Inter Milan in the second match of Group E held at Lumen Field in Seattle, America, on the 22nd (Korea time).
After losing 1-3 in their first match against River Plate (Argentina), Urawa faced back-to-back defeats.
Urawa started well. In the 11th minute of the first half, Ryoma Watanabe scored an unexpected opening goal.
Having taken an early lead, Urawa tried to stabilize their line and maintain the lead while looking for counterattacks.
Inter Milan failed to create any significant opportunities throughout the first half, recording no shots on target.
However, the atmosphere changed completely in the second half. In the 33rd minute, Inter Milan's star striker Lautaro Martínez scored the equalizer. His right-footed volley, evading the defense during a corner kick situation, shook the net.
Urawa tried to lock the game down by dropping their defensive line further to maintain the draw, but Inter Milan's offensive was very intense, causing gaps to appear.
Inter Milan scored a comeback goal in stoppage time of the second half. Valentin Carboni seized the ball that had deflected off an opponent’s defense and concluded with a right-footed shot, triggering a dramatic comeback goal.
As a result, Urawa confirmed their elimination from the group stage with back-to-back defeats. Inter Milan, a strong team from Italy that finished as runners-up in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League, nearly lost their pride but showcased resilience to earn valuable three points.
Ulsan HD, representing East Asia, also failed to advance to the Round of 16 after losing 0-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) in their first match and 2-4 to Fluminense (Brazil).
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