Club World Cup Round of 16 Preview: Inter Milan vs. Fluminense | OneFootball

Inter Milan vs. Fluminense

Monday June 30 @ 3:00pm ET

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Another compelling match-up of CONMEBOL vs. UEFA. The former didn’t fare so well yesterday down in Miami despite having most of the crowd. But I think there’s a shift in that wind….

Recent History

These two clubs have never played each other.

How They Qualified for the Round of 16

Inter Milan finished top of Group E with seven points. I’m not gonna lie, Milan did just enough to skirt through the group stage. Their opening 1 – 1 draw against Monterrey was a dull affair in front of a half-full stadium which was memorable for how bad the shooting was. Only three shots on target for both teams. They were shocked by an early goal against Urawa Red Diamonds, and needed a deep stoppage time miracle to edge out the game 2 – 1 dispute having 82% possession. They finally looked the business against River Plate, though once again their shooting accuracy was crap. Over the group phase they only put 15.3% of shots on frame, the lowest of any team, period.

Fluminense finished second in Group F with five points. They never quite got all their gears synchronized, with 0 – 0 draws against Borussia Dortmund and Mamelodi Sundowns. Although Ulsan HD shocked them with two unanswered goals right before the half, they emerged from the tunnel focused and calmly dispatched them. It is somewhat concerning that Mamelodi outplayed them (and in a more attractive Brazilian style) and Fluminense couldn’t muster a single shot on goal. But this team puts a premium on defense, and in this respect they are very stingy.

Expected Conditions

The last game played in Charlotte suffered a near two-hour weather delay. My beloved Chelsea was able to overcome that hurdle, thankfully. Equally fortuitous is today’s forecast, with some clouds but no anticipated thunderstorm activity. It’ll be hot and humid, but surely the teams are used to this by now?

The Hooligan Take

Something has to give between Milan’s group stage luck and lackadaisical approach. And Fluminense aren’t quite as bad as their group stage form indicates. My gut says Milan will stumble, and Fluminense seize the day. Fluzão will allow Milan to hold the ball and hit hard on the transition, while the blue and black won’t be able to score in a brothel. Gary likes Fluminense in a nervy 1 – 0 victory. Two more reasons: