Monterrey vs. Inter Milan: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Champions League finalists Inter Milan face off against Liga MX side Monterrey to kick-off their Club World Cup campaigns.

After making the Liga MX final to close out 2024, Monterrey had a rocky opening six months of the year, culminating in disappointing eliminations from both the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Clausura 2025 season, leading to the firing of former manager Martín Demichelis.

Now, the two-time Club World Cup third place finishers will look to have a strong performance in the summer tournament, boasting one of the most talented rosters in all of North America.

Not two months ago, Inter Milan were dreaming of a treble winning campaign. However, poor results in the home stretch of the season saw the Nerazzurri end the season sans a trophy, leading to Simone Inzaghi leaving after falling in uncompetitive fashion to PSG in the Champions League final.

Despite the disappointing end of the season, Inter are still one of the best clubs in the world and are among the favorites to lift the Club World Cup trophy in a month's time.

With two managers making their debut at their new teams, here's Sports Illustrated's guide to Monterrey vs. Inter Milan in the Club World Cup.

What Time Does Monterrey vs. Inter Milan Kick-Off?

Location: Pasadena, United States
Stadium: Rose Bowl
Date: Tuesday, June 17/Wednesday, June 18
Kick-off Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT/2 a.m. BST
Referee: Wilton Pereira Sampaio

Monterrey vs. Inter Milan Head-to-Head Record

This is the first competitive meeting between Monterrey and Inter Milan.

Current Form (All Competitions)

How to Watch Monterrey vs. Inter Milan on TV

Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here

Monterrey Team News

The Domènec Torrent era begins for Monterrey, with the Spanish manager joining after a successful stint with Atlético San Luis. The former Pep Guardiola assistant will now inherit one of the strongest rosters on paper in Liga MX.

At 39-years-old, Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos will hope to turn back the clock and lead Monterrey's defense in arguably the final bouts of his career against the European elite.

Nelson Deossa has blossomed into one of the best players in Liga MX and his tireless ability to run all over the midfield, controlling attacking actions and helping out defensively, are a perfect compliment to the quality touch of Sergio Canales, who will play as the most advanced midfielder.

New signings Santiago Mele and Johan Rojas will likely start from the bench, as Rayados will look to upset the Champions League runner-ups.

Monterrey Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Milan

Monterrey Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Milan (4-2-3-1): Cárdenas; Chávez, Guzmán, Ramos, Arteaga; Rodríguez, Deossa; Corona, Canales, Ocampos; Berterame

Inter Milan Team News

Inter Milan will take the pitch for the first time since getting destroyed by PSG in the Champions League final a little over a fortnight ago and they'll do so with a new manager, as Cristian Chivu has taken over after Simone Inzaghi's departure

The late arrivals to the U.S. camp from Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Davide Frattesi and Yann Bisseck potentially mean they won't be ready in time for Chivu to consider them to start vs. Monterrey. On the other hand, new signings Luis Henrique and Petar Sučić could make their Nerazzurri debut

Yann Sommer, Alessandro Bastoni and Federico Dimarco will be at their usual spots in the heart of defense. Further up the pitch, Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez will continue one of the strongest striker partnerships in Europe.

Inter Milan Predicted Lineup vs. Monterrey

Inter Milan Predicted Lineup vs. Monterrey (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Mkhitaryan, Sučić, Dimarco; Thuram, Martínez

Monterrey vs. Inter Milan Score Prediction

Inter Milan will want to ensure their recent humiliation in the Champions League final is a thing of the past and they're ready to be serious contenders to win the Club World Cup.

Monterrey have enough quality to be competitive for the majority of the game and they could even challenge to advance past the group stage. however, playing one of the top-teams in world soccer to open the competition is a tough if not impossible task.

Monterrey's defensive fragility will be exposed by two elite strikers and Inter will cruise to a comfortable debut victory under Chivu. However, the Liga MX side has more than enough attacking firepower to score at least once and they'll be competitive until the end on Torrent's debut.

Prediction: Monterrey 1–3 Inter Milan

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