Monterrey and Inter Milan are playing their match for the first round of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Facts
- This will be the first match between the two teams.
- Seven of Monterrey’s last ten matches have ended with BTTS & Over 2.5 Goals.
- Seven of Inter Milan’s last ten matches have ended with BTTS: No.
- Eight of Monterrey’s last nine matches saw over 4.5 cards.
- Inter have scored first in six of their last seven games.
- Monterrey have scored first in six of their last eight matches.
Betting Tip Monterrey - Inter Milan
This will be Cristian Chivu’s debut as Inter Milan manager, and the team will be looking to rebound from the Champions League defeat with a deep run in this competition. Monterrey is not a big threat, and a win for Inter, combined with Over 2.5 Goals scored, is our pick for this one.
- Betting tip: Inter to win & Over 2.5 Goals
- Odds: 2.20 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 5
Monterrey
CF Monterrey are one of the most decorated clubs not just in Mexican football but in the wider CONCACAF area as well. They secured a spot in the competition after defeating Club América in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
In this group stage, they will face three very solid squads from three different continents - Argentina’s River Plate, Inter Milan from Italy, and Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan. The team’s recent transfer additions have sparked enthusiasm among the fans.
The team added Sergio Ramos in February, bolstering their defence ahead of this competition. Recently, they have been linked with a former teammate of Ramos, Karim Benzema. Should the Frenchman join, Monterrey’s profile will be further elevated.
Unfortunately for Monterrey, last season was far from ideal. The Rayados finished in 8th place during the regular season of the Liga MX, and they were knocked out of the playoffs in the quarter finals by eventual Champions Toluca.
That meant their last competitive game came on May 11, and the team will be far from midseason form. Domenec Torrent will debut as manager in the game against Inter Milan, after taking the reins on May 21.
Inter Milan
A season that started off with a lot of ambition ended with bitter disappointment. Despite leading the Serie A race for most of the season, successive blunders allowed Napoli to overtake them and claim the Scudetto.
Of course, Inter reached the Champions League final, and that immediately became the biggest target. Unfortunately for Inter, the dream of a fourth European championship turned into a nightmare. The Italians were dominated by Paris Saint-Germain in the final, taking place in Munich (5-0), and they concluded the season in a very negative fashion.
At the same time, that devastating Champions League final was the last game with Simone Inzaghi as Inter Milan manager. The Italian manager departed Milan to take control of Saudi side Al-Hilal. The Milanese selected Cristian Chivu as his replacement, who donned the black and blue for seven years, between 2007 and 2014.
This Club World Cup will be the first big test for the Romanian manager. Inter Milan is a team with high expectations, and this competition is high on the club’s priorities after the catastrophes in the Champions League and the Serie A.
In the group stage, the Italians will be the favourites for first place, and they will (in theory) have the upper hand in the first game against Monterrey.
