Fluminense booked their place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 2–0 victory over Inter Milan, delivering a performance that stunned the Champions League runners-up in Jeddah on Monday.
The Brazilian side struck early and held firm under pressure before sealing the win with a stoppage-time goal to eliminate one of the tournament’s favourites.
German Cano opened the scoring just three minutes into the match after a defensive lapse from Inter. Rene dispossessed his marker and fed Jhon Arias, who delivered a low cross that deflected off an Inter defender and fell perfectly for Cano. The Argentine striker made no mistake, heading past a helpless Yann Sommer from close range.
Inter, stunned by the early setback, tried to respond quickly. In the 12th minute, Henrikh Mkhitaryan showed composure to control the ball inside the box and teed up Federico Dimarco, but the wing-back’s powerful strike was denied by Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio.
Fluminense thought they had doubled their lead late in the first half when Ignacio Oliveira nodded in after a slick team move, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, Inter Milan struggled to break down a disciplined Fluminense defence. Their best opportunity came in the 70th minute when Lautaro Martinez kept a curling cross in play, heading it back across goal for Stefan de Vrij. The Dutch defender was well-placed but squandered the chance, dragging his shot wide from close range.
Martinez himself had three golden opportunities to draw level in the closing stages. Twice he was denied by Fabio, and his third effort—a powerful drive—clattered off the crossbar, summing up Inter’s night of frustration.
With the Italians committing numbers forward in search of an equaliser, Fluminense struck again deep into stoppage time. Brazilian midfielder Hercules capitalised on the space and finished calmly to make it 2–0 and confirm a famous victory.
The result sends Fluminense into the next round full of confidence, while Inter Milan will head home disappointed after a lacklustre and wasteful display.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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