River Plate and Monterrey play out goalless draw | OneFootball

River Plate and Monterrey played a physical game with few chances and little room for star players to shine.

In the end, a 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl kept Group E of the Club World Cup a close contest.

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 through Sergio Canales. The Spanish player advanced through the middle and took a long-range shot with Franco Armani making the save.

Despite the clear efforts of Franco 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, Giuliano 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 Facundo 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.