Inter Milan vs. Monterrey odds, predictions: FIFA Club World Cup picks, best bets Tuesday
The last time we saw Inter Milan, it was walking off the pitch at the Allianz Arena in Munich after an embarrassing 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Final.It marked the second time in three years that this veteran-laden roster was on the losing side of the most important match of the European Soccer season.A little more than two weeks later, Inter heads to the Rose Bowl for its opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup against Monterrey.Inter is a -220 favorite to win Tuesday’s match.There’s a massive talent gap between Inter Milan and Monterrey.Inter finished one point behind first-place Napoli in Serie A, was runner-up in the Champions League and made it to the semi-finals in the Coppa Italia.La Beneamata finished their domestic campaign with the fifth-best goal difference in Europe’s Big 5 Leagues, and they were eighth in expected goal differential. By all accounts, Inter was one of the 10 best clubs in the world this past season.In a vacuum, you’d say this all points to a straightforward win for Inter on Tuesday against Monterrey, one of the top clubs in Liga MX.Monterrey doesn’t have the depth that Inter boasts, but there are plenty of familiar names on this roster, most notably former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, former Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampos, longtime Mexican internationals Hector Moreno and Jesus Corona and former Real Betis midfielder Sergio Canales.We’ve seen some terrific performances from the heavyweights in this competition out of the gates, but it’s still fair to be skeptical of where Inter’s level will be after a grueling European campaign was capped off in a demoralizing loss in Munich.Inter is a team that really leans into the physical side of the game, but if its not fully up for this tournament – or are just fatigued – it loses that edge.Monterrey could get played off the park in this one, but we’ll take a shot at a big price and hope that Inter isn’t firing Tuesday night in Los Angeles.THE...