Inter is celebrating their qualification for the Club World Cup round of 16 as group winners, secured with a 2-0 victory over River Plate. However, in the closing moments of the match, a different emotion prevailed: tension. A significant verbal clash erupted between the two wing-backs, Marcos Acuna and Denzel Dumfries, who had been battling each other throughout the game. This confrontation escalated after Inter`s second goal and particularly at the final whistle.
The situation was so heated that many teammates rushed to restrain the Dutchman. Among the first was his coach, Cristian Chivu, who sprinted from the bench with a swift, cat-like movement – an immediate reaction despite this marking a successful first step in his new role.
Chivu also earned a 7 in TMW`s match ratings. The justification provided: `He needed to clinch qualification, and for this, aside from one selection, he largely relied on proven certainties and experienced players. River Plate pressed hard and bit throughout the first half, but his team found countermeasures as the match wore on and effectively utilized them in the second half. A mix of fortunate events assisted him, but the decision to start Pio Esposito was deliberate. And tactical astuteness is a trait of great coaches.`
Dumfries, conversely, received a 6: `The intention was to leverage his physicality as one of Inter`s more robust elements. In practice, he made several attacking runs, but they didn`t translate into an assist or a decisive play. This might also be partly due to some debatable refereeing decisions.`
