Monterrey and Inter Milan battle to a 1-1 tie at the Rose Bowl

Monterrey FC and Inter Milan played to a hard-fought 1-1 draw Tuesday night at the Rose Bowl, in the second match of Group E play at the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, with veteran defender Sergio Ramos making an immediate impact in his return to a tournament he has won four times previously with Real Madrid.

Following reports of nightmare traffic, parking snafus, and lack of access to water in “dangerous” 90°+ weather at Sunday’s Paris Saint-Germain vs. Atlético de Madrid match, Tuesday’s game seemed remarkably smooth, organization-wise.

Under a warm, dusky sky and a boisterous, loud, pro-Monterrey crowd of 40,311 in the 89,702-capacity stadium, the match delivered high-paced, physical, and at times chaotic play. Inter Milan controlled early possession with its fluid midfield anchored by Kristjan Asllani and Nicolo Barella, but it was Monterrey that struck first, and not without controversy.

In the 25th minute, a looping corner from Óliver Torres found Ramos leaping up above Inter’s Francesco Acerbi. The 39-year-old Spaniard connected cleanly for a powerful header that beat keeper Yann Sommer at the near post. Inter players briefly protested what they believed was a shove by Ramos, but no foul was given, and the goal stood.

“I went for the ball. It was clean,” Ramos stressed after the match. “In games like this, you have to assert yourself.”

Inter responded with urgency. Their equalizer came just before halftime, when Kristjan Asllani delivered a floated free-kick into the box, which Carlos Augusto played across the face of goal to give Lautaro Martínez an easy tap-in to tie the score in the 42nd minute.

The second half saw Inter dominate time on the ball — holding around 62% of possession — but chances were scarce. Lautaro was denied a brace after being flagged offside, and a late rocket from Henrikh Mkhitaryan sailed just over the bar. Monterrey nearly stole it in the 64th minute when Sergio Canales unleashed a low shot that struck the post. In stoppage time, substitute Nelson Deossa got behind the Inter defense but could only shoot into the side netting.

Both clubs now look ahead to decisive group matches on Saturday. Monterrey returns to the Rose Bowl to face River Plate, who defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 earlier in the day with goals from Facundo Colidio, Sebastian Driussi, and Maximiliano Meza. Meanwhile, Inter Milan heads to Seattle for a showdown with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds.

“This was a good first test,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said in his managerial debut after replacing Simone Inzaghi following Inter’s 5-0 Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. “We’re in a strong group, and we need to be sharper in the final third.”

Monterrey coach Domènec Torrent praised his team’s composure. “We knew Inter would have more of the ball. We defended well and nearly took all three points.”

With a point apiece, both sides are still in the hunt in Group E, where River Plate currently leads with three points, followed by Monterrey and Inter with one point each, and Urawa Red Diamonds at the bottom with zero. But in a tightly contested group, finishing will be key — and margins could be razor-thin.