Inter avoid embarrassment with late turnaround against Urawa RD
PA Media/dpa
Los Angeles
Inter Milan scored twice late on to beat Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 in Seattle and spare their Club World Cup blushes.
Ryoma Watanabe's early opener had allowed Urawa to dream of a famous victory, but Lautaro Martinez's brilliant overhead kick 12 minutes from time drew Inter level.
Urawa were still in the competition at that point, but two minutes into stoppage time substitute Valentin Carboni proved the Inter hero.
The ball took a couple of ricochets in the Urawa box, and Carboni kept his composure to sidefoot in his first Inter goal from eight metres.
Urawa had to defend for long periods of a largely one-sided affair, but the Japanese side were so close to becoming the first Asian team to beat European opposition in 17 games in the various formats of this competition.
Inter started strongly and went close to a second-minute opener as Nicola Zalewski produced a wonderful cross into the six-metre box.
But Luis Henrique, making his first Inter start following his transfer from Marseille, was unable to apply a touch at the far post.
The contest was one-way traffic with Urawa barely escaping from their own half until an 11th-minute sucker punch was delivered.
Takuro Kaneko surged past Carlos Augusto down the right and squared for Watanabe to score with the aid of a deflection.
Augusto almost made amends in forcing a save from Shusaku Nishikawa, and Martinez headed Kristjan Asllani's centre against the crossbar from six metres.
Inter dominated possession but struggled to pierce a resilient Urawa, who were organized in defence and backed by a large red wall of supporters that grew more expectant and noisy by the minute.
The pattern remained the same after the break as Asllani twice drove high from the edge of the box and Federico Dimarco volleyed wide.
Francesco Pio Esposito, introduced to the Inter attack at half-time alongside Henrikh Mkhitaryan, hooked over before Urawa managed a second goal attempt - substitute Takahiro Sekine firing straight at Yann Sommer.
Urawa wasted a far better opening moments later as a mass breakout ended with a five-on-two-man advantage and Watanabe smashing a shot over the bar.
It proved a costly miss despite Mkhitaryan slicing horribly wide from eight metres.
Martinez displayed his scoring knack once more from Nicolo Barella's corner, before Carboni's calmness gave Cristian Chivu his first win as Inter manager.
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