Will the Mexicans jump on the bandwagon?
In Group E of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, River Plate and Inter Milan will battle it out for the group winner on the final matchday. If there is a winner in this match, CF Monterrey could also jump on the bandwagon toward the knockout phase with a victory against the already eliminated Japanese team. Even with a draw in the other game, the Mexicans would still be level on points with the two aforementioned teams, provided that the Rayados win against Urawa Red Diamonds.
The situation in Group E is quickly summarized: River Plate and Inter Milan each drew against Monterrey and defeated Urawa Red Diamonds, who are now four points behind in second place and have no chance of advancing to the round of 16. There is therefore every reason to believe that Rayados will win against Urawa Red Diamonds, having lost only four of their 14 competitive matches in the Club World Cup (six wins, four draws).
However, it is clear that the Mexicans are under pressure to win. A draw will definitely not be enough to advance to the knockout stages. The Japanese are well aware of this, of course, and would very much like to bow out with their heads held high, which means they could make life difficult for their opponents with a defensive approach. However, given that the Red Devils have already conceded five goals, we don’t think this is very promising. We are therefore betting straight down the line in the three-way system on a Rayados victory, for which the Bwin app offers odds of 1.70 for Urawa Red Diamonds against Monterrey.
Urawa Red Diamonds – Statistics & current form
Urawa Red Diamonds won the AFC Champions League for the first time in 2007 and then finished third in the Club World Cup in its former format. However, this competition has not been particularly successful for the Japanese club, which has qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup for the fourth time. Including the two defeats in the first group stage, which led to the Red Devils’ early exit, Guido Buchwald’s former club has six defeats from ten games (three wins, one draw).
The final group game is therefore practically meaningless for the Japanese, who are four points behind second place and can no longer qualify for the knockout stages. Moreover, the bookmakers do not consider a dignified exit to be very likely. At Winamax, where new customers can get a €10 free bet on top of the usual welcome bonus with our Winamax promo code, the odds for Urawa Red Diamonds against Monterrey are 3.90 for a Reds win.
Urawa Red Diamonds have been too vulnerable defensively lately
No wonder, as the recent downward trend for Urawa Red Diamonds continued seamlessly in the restructured Club World Cup. Maciej Skorza’s side finished the 2024 J1 League season in a thoroughly disappointing 13th place and won only two of their last seven league games (three draws, two defeats) in the weeks leading up to the big tournament in the USA.
This is also due to the lack of stability in the defensive line, which has only kept a clean sheet once in the last nine competitive games and conceded a whopping five goals in the Club World Cup alone against River Plate (1-3) and Inter Maland (1-2). At least the Red Devils have only failed to score once in their last eight competitive games – in the 0-0 draw against Cerezo Osaka. So they should be able to add at least one more goal against CF Monterrey.
Predicted line-up for Urawa Red Diamonds:
Nishikawa – Naganuma, Höibraten, Boza, Ishimara – Gustafson, Yasui – Watanabe, Sávio, Kaneko – Matsuo
Monterrey – Statistics & current form
Club de Fútbol Monterrey is the flagship club of northern Mexico. The team from the state of Nuevo León has won the CONCACAF Champions League five times (most recently in 2021) and has accordingly been a regular participant in the Club World Cup, where it has lost only four of 14 competitive matches (six wins, four draws). They have not yet managed to finish higher than third place (in 2012 and 2019). Nevertheless, the Rayados (meaning “the striped ones”) have shown on several occasions that they are not immediately eaten alive in the shark tank of the world’s top clubs.
This is also evident in the fact that the Albiazules (English: the White and Blues) are in a good position ahead of the third matchday of the group stage. After two draws against Inter Milan (1-1) and River Plate (0-0), the Mexicans can increase their tally to five points if Urawa Red Diamonds beat Monterrey. This would guarantee them to overtake one of their two rivals if the match between Inter and River Plate produces a winner. Should it end in a draw, a victory by two goals would be enough for the Rayados to secure a place in the round of 16 in the three-way battle for the top two spots.
Monterrey must step up their offensive game
Coach Domènec Torrent’s team can therefore go into the final group game with confidence, although the Mexicans will have to improve their attacking play. On the first two matchdays, the solid defense built around 39-year-old veteran Sergio Ramos conceded only one goal, but also scored only one. While the Rayados managed eleven shots against Inter Milan, they only had three shots on goal in the rather flattering 0-0 draw against River Plate.
This last group game is therefore certainly not a foregone conclusion for the Albiazules, especially as the Japanese know that Monterrey must play for victory and could well ensure that the score remains 0-0 for a long time with a correspondingly defensive style of play, which could lead to nervousness spreading among the Rayados. Coach Domènec Torrent, who took over the reins in northern Mexico just a month ago, therefore faces the difficult task of preparing his team mentally for a possible game of patience.
Predicted line-up for Monterrey:
Andrada – Arteaga, Ramos, Medina, Aguirre – Rodríguez, Deossa – Ocampos, Canales, Corona – Berterame
Urawa Red Diamonds – Monterrey Head-to-head record
There has never been an intercontinental competitive match between these two clubs before. This means that there is no head-to-head data available that could influence our prediction for Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey in any way.
Urawa Red Diamonds – Monterrey Tip
All in all, our prediction for Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey is a win for the Mexicans, who would then have a very good chance of advancing to the knockout stage. The Rayados have already held Inter Milan (1-1) and River Plate (0-0) to draws and have lost only four of their 14 competitive matches in the Club World Cup (six wins, four draws). The Red Devils, on the other hand, are already out of the competition after two defeats, which on the one hand takes the pressure off, but on the other hand is likely to have caused considerable disillusionment.
Even if the Japanese try a defensive approach, it is unlikely to be very successful given that they have already conceded five goals in their first two group games. It therefore makes sense to bet on a win for the Mexicans, who would then secure their place in the round of 16.