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Brazilian side Fluminense eliminated Inter Milan from the Club World Cup in the last 16 on Monday, holding off the Italian giants to secure a 2-0 victory and a place in the quarter-finals.
German Cano gave Fluminense an early lead with a powerful header, and the Brazilian outfit withstood significant pressure from Inter before substitute Hercules sealed the result late in the match. Inter struck the woodwork twice through Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco but could not find a way through.
The win marks another high-profile triumph for a South American side over European opposition at this year’s tournament in the United States, with Botafogo having earlier beaten Paris Saint-Germain and Flamengo seeing off Chelsea in the group stage.
Veteran Fluminense captain Thiago Silva, formerly of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, praised his team’s performance. “They reached the Champions League final just weeks ago, so we knew it wouldn’t be easy. But we played with spirit and quality,” said the 40-year-old defender.
Fluminense’s Colombian winger Jhon Arias, who was named man of the match, said the win carried special meaning. “This victory is for our fans, for Brazil, and for South America. It’s hugely important,” he said.
Inter, runners-up in the last Champions League after a 5-0 loss to PSG, entered the tournament under new head coach Cristian Chivu, who replaced Simone Inzaghi. Despite finishing top of their group, the Serie A side were unconvincing and ultimately fell short against determined opposition.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez didn’t hide his frustration after the defeat, launching a stinging rebuke of some team-mates. “I want to compete for major honours. If someone doesn’t want to stay and fight at Inter, then they should leave,” he said. “We wear a shirt with history — we need players with a top mentality, otherwise there’s no place for them here.”
