Italy Star Insists Inter Milan ‘Not On Vacation' At Club World Cup Following Dramatic 2-1 Win Vs Urawa Red Diamonds
Italy Star Insists Inter Milan 'Not On Vacation' At Club World Cup Following Dramatic 2-1 Win Vs Urawa Red Diamonds
Alessandro Bastoni says that Inter Milan are 'not on vacation' at the Club World Cup following their 2-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds.
The 26-year-old spoke to Italian broadcaster DAZN, via FCInterNews, after the match.
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Inter Milan had to do it the hard way against Urawa Red Diamonds.
The Nerazzurri had nearly all of the possession of the ball. However, they conceded early on, with Ryoma Watanabe scoring after they were caught out completely on the break within the first fifteen minutes.
From then on, the pattern was clear. Urawa Reds dug in and defended their penalty area, whilst Inter tried to break them down.
That proved to be a very difficult task. The Japanese team defended with composure, physicality, and organization. They didn't allow Inter any time or space to create telling chances.
In the end, it was Inter captain Lautaro Martinez who finally found the back of the net. And it was with Inter's first shot on target of the match.
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The Argentine scored with an acrobatic overhead kick from a corner.
And then, it proved to be substitute Valentin Carboni who was decisive. The 20-year-old scored in stoppage time to break Urawa hearts and give Inter a vital first win at the Club World Cup.
Alessandro Bastoni: 'Inter Not On Vacation' At Club World Cup
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 23: Alessandro Bastoni of FC Internazionale looks on during the warm up prior to the coppa Italia Semi Final match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by)
After the match, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni commented that 'we've gotten a big weight off our shoulders.'
'We'd gone a while without a win,' continued the Italian international. 'And we wanted to have the feeling of three points again.'
'We were playing the way we had against Monterrey. Then we conceded a goal.'
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'I'm very proud of this team's spirit,' added the Italian international.
'We'll be freer mentally. We've always been focused in this competition.'
Then, Bastoni admitted that it is 'inevitable' for Inter to feel a bit of fatigue.
'It's been an exhausting season,' the Italian international commented.
'But we didn't come here to be on vacation. We want to take the Inter brand forward, and we want to do well in this competition.'
Bastoni then observed that 'the coach has only been here for a short amount of time.'
'He'll have to work at the start of next season. Now, obviously there's no time for him to introduce new ideas.'
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'He came into the dressing room with a bang,' Bastoni said of new Inter coach Cristian Chivu. 'He's working a lot on our mentality.'
Bastoni added that Chivu is 'a super person.'
'We're happy about that,' added the 26-year-old.
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