River Plate and Monterrey Draw Goalless as Group Remains Tightly Contested | OneFootball

River Plate and Monterrey played a physical game with few chances and little room for players like Mastantuono and Canales. In the end, a 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl kept Group E of the Club World Cup tightly contested.

The Millionarios remain at the top of the group, tied with four points with Inter Milan, their opponents in the final round. Monterrey, facing the already eliminated Urawa Reds and with two points, have a good chance of qualifying.

Tense Game

The first half was marked by a lack of creativity, frequent disputes, fouls, arguments, and stoppages. The actual playing time was much less than expected, given the quality of both teams.

While River started strong, Monterrey gradually improved and posed the first threat with Canales. The Spanish player advanced through the middle and took a long-range shot. Armani made the save.

Despite the clear efforts of Mastantuono, the Millionarios were slow to respond. They struggled with the physical play of their opponents and only really threatened towards the end of the first half.

They had two clear chances. In the first, after a play on the left, Galoppo found himself with a loose ball in the box and shot over the bar. Following a corner, the ball fell to the defender Martínez Quarta in the six-yard box, but his shot went wide.

River Still Close

Coming back for the second half, River took control of the match. Mastantuono became more prominent and almost opened the scoring after receiving the ball from Colídio on the right, switching to his left, and shooting high. Andrada prevented the goal with a great save.

Gallardo's substitutions were offensive, but Miguel Borja showed why he is not a starting option. Faced with a clear goal-scoring opportunity, the striker shot straight at Andrada. The scenario repeated itself in another incident in the box...

The game became tense again in the final minutes, with numerous cards and the expulsion of Kevin Castaño. In the end, the 0-0 draw was inevitable.