Inter 2-1 Urawa Reds: Carboni nets last-gasp winner in comeback victory

Valentin Carboni's winner in second-half stoppage time saw Inter come from behind to beat the Urawa Reds 2-1 to pick up their first win at the Club World Cup. 

Lautaro Martinez had hauled Inter level in the 78th minute after Ryoma Watanabe had given the Japanese side the lead, but Carboni was on hand to steal all three points late on. 

The result lifts Cristian Chivu's side to top spot in Group E ahead of River Plate's clash with Monterrey, with the Argentine giants up next for the Nerazzurri. 

Maciej Skorza's side hit the front early on when Takuro Kaneko's cutback found Watanabe, who stroked the ball home with the aid of a deflection from Matteo Darmian. 

Inter almost drew level seven minutes after falling behind when Martinez rose highest to meet Kristjan Asllani's cross, but his effort cannoned against the crossbar. 

After failing to find an equaliser before the break, the Serie A side began to turn the screw in the second half, with Asllani and Federico Dimarco firing wide of the mark early on. 

Inter continued to push and came closest to levelling in the 70th minute through substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but their pressure eventually told 12 minutes from time. 

Nicolo Barella's inviting corner kick was acrobatically volleyed into the back of the net by Inter captain Martinez, and there was to be one final twist at Lumen Field. 

In the second minute of second-half stoppage time, Petar Sucic saw his effort blocked, but the ball fell kindly for Carboni, who swept a strike beyond Shusaku Nishikawa. 

Data Debrief: Better late than never

Inter were made to work for their victory against the Urawa Reds, with their individual quality in the final third eventually paying off as they edged closer to the last 16. 

But they had to come behind from Watanabe's early strike, which was the first-ever goal scored by an Asian team against an Italian side in the history of the Club World Cup. 

And Martinez's fine finish set them on their way. The Argentine has now scored 10 goals in 10 matches in international competition in 2025 (Champions League and Club World Cup), though it was Barella who stole the show on Saturday. 

The midfielder ended the contest with team-high totals for chances created (seven), passes in the final third (63) and successful dribbles (three), while also recording the joint-most shots for Inter (four, level with Asllani).