🎥 Acuna and Dumfries brawl in Inter-River friendly, Chivu intervenes 😱 | OneFootball

High-tension finale between Inter and River Plate at the Club World Cup, ending 2-0 for the Nerazzurri thanks to goals from Pio Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni. Despite the victory and qualifying for the round of 16 as group leaders, the atmosphere heated up in the final minutes and after the final whistle.

The protagonists of a heated clash were the two wingers, Marcos Acuña and Denzel Dumfries, who had already been at the center of numerous confrontations during the match. The situation escalated into a mini-brawl, culminating in a chase at the end of the game and the involvement of staff, teammates, and fans.

💢 Clash on the field and rising tensions

From the very first stages of the match, the game between Inter and River Plate was marked by intense physical duels and borderline challenges. The competitiveness increased in the second half, especially after the Nerazzurri took the lead with a goal from Pio Esposito in the 72nd minute.

Marcos Acuña showed increasing signs of nervousness, culminating in repeated fouls against Dumfries that went unsanctioned by the referee. The Argentine winger, unpunished, repeatedly tried to provoke the Dutchman, clearly intending to get him sent off for a second yellow card.

🧨 The second goal and the final spark

In the 93rd minute, Inter doubled their lead with Bastoni, further igniting tempers. Immediately after the goal, Acuña intensified his provocations and verbal clashes with Dumfries.

The atmosphere became red-hot, recalling the tensions seen in Netherlands-Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar. The two teams faced each other with growing hostility, while arguments and protests broke out between the benches.

🟥 The brawl and Montiel’s sending off

Shortly before the final whistle, a real mini-brawl broke out on the field. Amid shoving, shouting, and moments of confusion, Montiel was sent off in the 96th minute for protesting.

The nervousness spread to both sides, with the benches trying to restrain their respective players. The refereeing team struggled to keep the situation under control.

😱 Dumfries chased, River fans throw objects at him

At the end of the match (see the video below, starting at minute 02:30), Dumfries ran towards the locker rooms, chased by Marcos Acuña and some River Plate players. Opposing fans threw objects at him as the Dutchman quickly left the field.

Only the timely intervention of Cristian Chivu and Argentine captain Franco Armani prevented worse: Acuña was physically restrained by at least four teammates and staff members to prevent him from going any further. Dumfries, escorted, returned to the tunnel as flags and objects were thrown at him from the stands by Argentine fans.

👀 The reason? It all started at the World Cup in Qatar

This is not an isolated incident: the two had already clashed in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, after Argentina’s victory on penalties.

The Dutchman ruled out racist insults, confirming only a heated verbal exchange. Gallardo later condemned the incident, calling it “a shame” and contrary to the values of the club.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 PABLO PORCIUNCULA - AFP or licensors