Inter edge River in stormy showdown, Dortmund cruise into knockouts

Inter Milan marched into the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a heated 2-0 win over River Plate on Wednesday, sealing the Argentine giants' elimination from the tournament and setting up a showdown with Fluminense.

Goals from teenage striker Francesco Esposito and defender Alessandro Bastoni sealed the victory in Seattle, but the result was overshadowed by a tense finale that saw River reduced to nine men and fan violence erupt at the final whistle. Missiles were thrown from the stands as tempers flared, adding a chaotic end to a fiercely contested clash.

"We got the job done, that's the most important thing," Inter manager Cristian Chivu said. "They played with a lot of aggression in the first half, but we managed the second half well and got the win."

The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute when 19-year-old Esposito marked his first senior goal for Inter in style. After collecting a pass from Petar Sucic, the tall forward glided past his marker and rifled a low shot into the bottom corner past Franco Armani.

River's resistance had already been dented six minutes earlier when Lucas Martinez Quarta was sent off for denying Henrikh Mkhitaryan a clear scoring opportunity. Gonzalo Montiel compounded their misery with a second yellow in stoppage time before Bastoni sealed the result deep into injury time.

With Monterrey thrashing Urawa Red Diamonds 4-0 in Pasadena earlier in the day, the Group E scenario was clear: only a win would do. Inter took full advantage as River's campaign ended in disarray.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Daniel Svensson's first-half strike handed Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win over Ulsan HD, securing top spot in Group F and a last-16 tie in Atlanta next Tuesday.

The Swede's goal came in the 36th minute, capitalizing on Ulsan's sloppy play near their own box. Jobe Bellingham, who had earlier gone close with a volley, teed up Svensson, who drilled a left-footed shot into the net.

Despite the searing 36°C heat and a low turnout of just over 8,000, Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac praised his side's resilience.

"What the boys are doing is incredible," said Kovac. "The conditions are brutal, but we've handled it well. Now we recover and get ready for the knockouts."

Fluminense advanced alongside Dortmund after a goalless draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in Miami. The result marked the end of the road for the South African side, though coach Miguel Cardoso lauded his players' efforts.

"We're disappointed not to go through, but proud of our performance," said Cardoso. "We leave stronger than we arrived."