Inter Milan vs Urawa Red Diamonds predictions: Italian giants might not have it all their own way
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- Inter have kept only four clean sheets across their last 20 fixtures
- Both teams have scored in six of Urawa’s last seven matches
- Recommended bet: Inter to win & both teams to score
Suffering a 5-0 dismantling at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final clearly left its mark on Inter Milan as they began their Club World Cup campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Mexican outfit Monterrey.
That hiding from the French champions also signalled the final game of manager Simone Inzaghi, who has been replaced by former player Cristian Chivu, so it is understandable that they are enduring some teething problems.
However, if winning Group E remains a realistic target, then this is an important match for Chivu’s charges and they would be expected to have a class edge on Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds.
Urawa were outclassed in a 3-1 defeat to River Plate in their Group E opener and that means that they will have to attempt to go on the front foot at Seattle’s Lumen Field.
Team news
Inter's midfield maestro Hakan Calhanoglu missed the draw against Monterrey and is expected to be sidelined again, alongside Davide Frattesi and Denzel Dumfries.
Yan Bisseck, Francesco Pio Esposito, Piotr Zielinski and Mehdi Taremi are also unavailable, while French forward Marcus Thuram is still struggling with a flexor issue and is doubtful.
Winger Ryoma Watanabe is Urawa’s chief scoring threat and is expected to play a vital role, while veteran midfielder Genki Haraguchi, who boasts plenty of Bundesliga experience, could be set for a start.
However, Kai Shibato remains a long-term absentee.
The stats
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Inter have lost only one of their last eight matches while Urawa Red Diamonds have won only two of their last eight.
The Serie A giants have kept only four clean sheets across their last 20 fixtures in all competitions.
Both teams have scored in six of Urawa’s last seven matches.
Urawa Red Diamonds have lost two of their last four matches but managed to score in both of those defeats.
Five of the last six matches involving Urawa have featured at least three goals.
Inter forward Lautro Martinez has scored 23 goals and grabbed seven assists in 50 matches in all competitions this season.
Prediction
Injuries in key areas are not helping matters for Inter but it would be a big disappointment were the Champions League runners-up to falter against Urawa, who face a hike in class to what they are used to competing against in the J1 League.
So Inter, spearheaded by the services of Martinez, should be too hot to handle in a must-win match for them and improvement is expected from their 1-1 draw with Monterrey.
However, having kept only four clean sheets in 20 outings, it may not be completely plain-sailing and the Italian heavyweights may have to rely on their attacking powers to get the job done.
Urawa are a counter-attacking team and there should be opportunities to break on this Inter team, with both teams having scored in six of their last seven matches. A 3-1 defeat to River Plate on matchday one does show the size of the task that they are faced with, though.
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