Monterrey will square off against Inter Milan in their FIFA Club World Cup campaign opener on Tuesday. River Plate from Argentina and the Urawa Reds from Japan complete Group E.
Rayados are making their sixth appearance in the competition. They last played in the 2021 edition and secured a fifth-place finish. They will play for the first time since May and suffered a 2-1 loss to Toluca in the Liga MX Clausura quarterfinals in their previous outing.
Inter have played just once in the Club World Cup thus far. They qualified for the 2010 edition following their treble-winning 2009-10 season. They lifted the title after defeating TP Mazembe 3-0 in the final. They were last in action in the UEFA Champions League final last month, suffering a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Rayados have conceded two goals apiece in three of their last four games and will look to improve upon that record. They have struggled against European teams in the Club World Cup, suffering defeats against Liverpool and Chelsea in the 2019 and 2013 editions, respectively.
The Nerazzurri saw their unbeaten streak end after six games in the Champions League last month, as they concluded the 2024-25 campaign with a 5-0 loss. They will look to bounce back here. They have a 100% record in the Club World Cup and will look to continue that form.
Mehdi Taremi is likely to miss the Club World Cup as he is currently stranded in Iran after the closure of its airspace. Cristian Chivu is likely to field a strong starting XI in his first game in charge of the club.
Inter have a good record in the competition and, considering Monterrey's struggles against European opponents, we back the Nerazzurri to register a comfortable win.
Prediction: Monterrey 1-3 Inter Milan
Tip 1: Result - Inter Milan to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Both teams to score - Yes
Tip 4: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes