- Monterrey thrashed Urawa Red Diamonds 4:0 to finish 2nd in Group E
- Three goals came in just eight first-half minutes, including a long-range stunner by Deossa
- Veteran Sergio Ramos wore the captain’s armband and led Monterrey’s defence at age 39
Key Takeaways:
Monterrey secured an impressive 4:0 victory over Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds and booked their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup. The match was the final one for both teams in Group E, and the Mexicans displayed their class by capitalising on the collapse of their opponent within just eight minutes in the first half.
Monterrey make the Round of 16 in style! 👌✅
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The goal avalanche began in the 30th minute when Nelson Deossa opened the scoring with a spectacular strike from over 30 metres. Just four minutes later, German Berterame doubled the lead for Los Rayados, and in the 38th minute Jesus Corona made it 3:0 with another brilliant long-range effort.
Monterrey continued to dominate until the final whistle, and in the dying moments Berterame completed the rout with his second goal of the night. The Japanese side managed a consolation goal through Thiago Santana in added time, but it was disallowed by VAR due to offside.
Monterrey finish the group stage with 5 points and secure second place behind Inter, who defeated River Plate 2:0 in the other decisive Group E clash. River end up third with 4 points and are eliminated from the tournament. Monterrey will now face Borussia Dortmund in the next round. The German club won Group F and will be a serious obstacle for Fernando Ortiz’ men.
A curious moment in the match was the presence of legendary defender Sergio Ramos, who wore the captain’s armband for Monterrey and showed that at 39 years of age, he remains a pillar in defence. Urawa finish the tournament with three defeats and only two goals scored, having failed to find the net regularly even once in this match.