Club World Cup: Inter Milan draws against Monterrey

Inter Milan have not yet fully recovered from the slap in the face inflicted by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final , conceding a 1-1 draw against Mexican club Monterrey at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on Tuesday in the Club World Cup.

For this lively match, the stadium was half full (around 40,000 people), a far cry from the 80,000 spectators for PSG-Atlético Madrid on Sunday.

Inter Milan were looking to turn the page on their humiliating Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain with a new coach, former Inter Milan player Cristian Chivu.

But for Inter, who had been imperious in their European campaign before their spectacular collapse on May 31, the match was far from straightforward, a sign that the trauma is still fresh. The injury absences of Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries didn't help. Frenchman Marcus Thuram didn't come on until the second half.

The Nerazzurri conceded the first goal through Sergio Ramos, who, at 39, still seems to have more than one trick up his sleeve. The former Madrid and Parisian cleverly got away from Francisco Acerbi after a corner won against the run of play by Monterrey (25th).

The jeers of the Mexican fans at the turn could have sent Milan spiraling, but they then managed to pick up where they had started, that is to say, with total domination of the midfield and constant occupation of the opposing half. First there was a big miss from Sebastiano Esposito, who was denied by goalkeeper Esteban Andrada from close range, after a pass from Carlos Augusto (28th).

Then the inevitable Lautaro Martinez, who had admitted not having spoken for several days after the defeat against Paris, got his team back on track. He pushed the ball into the net from another cross from Carlos Augusto, delivered by Kristjan Asllani with a clever flick, from a long-range free kick won by Benjamin Pavard (42nd).

Inter may have thought they had done the hardest part, but they still had to score the winning goal. And it was Monterrey who first came close to taking the lead, with a sudden strike from Canales from 35 meters, which hit Yann Sommer's post.

Inter were also inaccurate in their final passes and shots, with imprecise strikes from Nicolo Barella, Lautaro Martinez, and Nicola Zalewski. While the match against Urawa Red Diamonds on Saturday should be a formality, they will need a good result on June 25 against River Plate, who beat the Japanese side 3-1 earlier in the day, to secure a place in Group E.