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Esposito: It was a dream to score my first Inter goal
- Internazionale broke River Plate hearts to make it to the last 16
- Youngster Francesco Esposito netted his first Nerazzurri goal
- Goalkeeper Yann Sommer believes the side is now hitting their stride
FC Internazionale Milano entered the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ facing a daunting challenge, with recent setbacks casting a shadow over their campaign. Despite going the distance in several competitions, the Nerazzurri fell short at crucial moments. They lost to city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals, came second to Napoli in Serie A and suffered a heartbreaking loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final. Adding to the turbulence was the departure of head coach Simone Inzaghi, the architect of Inter’s recent success, leaving a significant void in the club’s leadership structure.
With little time to regroup or to get to grips with the philosophy of Cristian Chivu, Inter’s challenge as they entered their Club World Cup campaign was to perform in a demanding group, facing three formidable opponents, and keep the dream of winning silverware alive. In turn, the challenge for Chivu was to stabilise a squad still reeling from their recent heartbreaks.
It was a rocky start for Inter, with a lacklustre draw against CF Monterrey raising early concerns that deepened after their performance against Urawa Red Diamonds, in which they needed two late goals. That made the match against CA River Plate all the more decisive, but victory was far from guaranteed against the South American giants, who were looking to progress themselves.
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Faced with a high-stakes encounter against a mighty opponent, the Nerazzurri rose to the occasion and delivered their most convincing performance of the tournament. Lautaro Martinez led by examples as his charges recorded a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Francesco Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni.
Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer praised his team’s performance, and believes it could be a turning point. “What happened in the first matches was normal,” he told FIFA. “We competed on all fronts right up until the end of this season and then we travelled to the United States. It wasn’t easy to shift gears; we needed a few days to really get into the tournament, but now we are mentally here. We showed it today, and that was very important.”
“No, please let’s not start talking about ‘Chivismo’,” said Chivu with a laugh at the post-match press conference. “We played with spirit and the desire to win all three points. They caught us off guard in the first half with their aggression and intensity to win second balls. But we responded with determination and equalled their physicality, proving we’re capable of playing this kind of match. We showed our strength in duels and tackles, we defended well and read the game’s key moments.”
Inter struck at the right time, capitalising after a tightly contested first half against the Argentinians. Esposito’s clinical finish in the 72nd minute to beat Franco Armani, whose heroic efforts had kept Los Millonarios in the game, finally broke the deadlock, underscoring the pivotal role of Inter’s emerging talents in driving the team forward.
“It is very important for our team,” Sommer said. “We know that they are young and talented, but it’s great that they get to show it on the pitch. They are confident and free and they help us a lot. We have some injuries, but now the youngsters can step up – and they are doing well.”
In the match against Urawa, 20-year-old Valentin Carboni proved instrumental by scoring the winning goal late on. Against River, the 19-year-old Esposito and his partner in crime, 21-year-old Petar Sucic, proved unstoppable. The Croatian midfielder, who joined the club just prior to the tournament, made an immediate impact, creating their opening goal.
“It still doesn’t feel real," reflected Esposito. "It was overwhelming when the ball went in. It feels like a dream to score my first goal just days after my debut."
After a sluggish start to their campaign, Inter are back on form. They'll cross paths with Fluminense FC, who finished as runners-up in Group F, in the Round of 16, with more than an eye on the last eight.
“Winning was very important. It was a difficult match and we have clinched top spot in the group," Sommer continued. "The Champions League is over, it’s in the past now. We’ve arrived at this tournament, and matches like today’s are key for team morale, because today we played really well. We said we came here to win the tournament, and today we showed that we could.”
