According to Opta Analyst, Inter Milan are the favourites to win Group E. However, River Plate offer great value with a 10.8% chance to win.
| CWC Group E Winner Betting Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Inter Milan | 1.40 |
| River Plate | 3.25 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 15.00 |
| Monterrey | 20.00 |
Odds courtesy of 1xBet. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Group E winner at the 2025 Club World Cup isn’t a done deal
While Inter Milan are the overwhelming favourites to top the group, with a 79% chance according to Opta Analyst, too much has happened behind the scenes at the club. This could unsettle them and pave the way for an outsider to swoop in.
Inter Milan
After losing out on the last day of the Serie A season to Napoli and failing to secure their second league title in a row, Inter Milan had their sights set on the Champions League. However, they were simply outclassed by a better PSG side and once again finished as runners-up.
Simone Inzaghi left his role by mutual consent at the end of the season. With no silverware won last term, the Nerazzurri now have a chance at the global club showpiece.
They’ve lifted this trophy before, although in its former iteration, back in 2010 when they beat TP Mazemebe in the Abu Dhabi final. This year, they’re favourites to get out of Group E as winners. However, with a managerial change and Christian Chivu coming in, they might need to adapt to the new coach.
Although they were effectively Europe’s second-best side in Europe, missing out on the trophy means they have something to prove. Still, those two close challenges could mentally affect the squad, and they’ll now need to regroup to put in a fight for this title.
They will depend heavily on the likes of Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez, and Nicolo Barella. However, their performance against PSG revealed vulnerabilities that opponents could exploit.
River Plate
River Plate, one of football’s most renowned clubs from Argentina, are making their third appearance at this competition. They have previously reached the final in 2015, only to be beaten by a star-laden Barcelona team that featured Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.
The 38-time Primera Division winners didn’t fare well in domestic competition last season. They were knocked out of the Apertura playoffs in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Platense on penalties.
They are a team with a rich history, and they now boast the likes of Manuel Lanzini, who headed back to his first club after winning the Europa Conference League with West Ham. Los Millonarios are led by Marcelo Gallardo, who’s in his second stint at the club after a short spell away in Saudi Arabia with Al Ittihad. He will aim to replicate the success he enjoyed in this first stint.
Their Copa Libertadores form is what they’ll rely on at the CWC, as they’re unbeaten in six and topped their group to qualify for the last 16 of the competition. They will be eyeing the same success in this competition.
Monterrey
Mexican side Monterrey are making their sixth appearance at the Club World Cup. Only Auckland City and Al Ahly have been at this tournament more times than the Liga MX outfit.Their highest achievement has been securing third place, which they’ve done twice - once in 2012 and then again in 2019.
They’ve made it to this edition because of their 2021 CONCACAF Champions League win, and they’ll be eager to make their mark in this competition. La Pandilla can rely on one of Europe’s best-ever captains to guide them on the pitch.
Sergio Ramos will lead the White and Blues, wearing the 93 shirt at the age of 40 and without a sign of slowing down.He’s won four UEFA Champions League titles and featured in 180 caps for Spain. That experience, along with players such as Sergio Canales and Hector Moreno, can only benefit Monterrey when in the USA.
The Mexican outfit are also managed by former Manchester City assistant Domènec Torrent, who was only appointed last month.
Urawa Red Diamonds
J1 League heavyweights Urawa Red Diamonds make their fourth appearance at the Club World Cup, representing Japan. Their best performance came in 2007 when they reached the semi-finals but were defeated by eventual winners, AC Milan.
They’ve booked their seat on the plane to the United States after winning the AFC Champions League, proving they are a team to watch. However, they have been poor since that victory in 2002, only qualifying for the continental showpiece once after, where they failed to advance past the group stage.
With mainly home-based players and a sprinkle of Brazilians, they have a 19.8% chance of making it out of Group E.
River offer the perfect option for value and form
As Opta Analyst suggest, only two teams are worth backing to win the group; however, going with Inter Milan doesn’t offer much value. The Neazzurri have the highest percentage chance to win their group in the entire Club World Cup competition, which is why it’s worth going for River Plate.
River are in excellent form, unbeaten in their last 18 matches after 90 minutes across all competitions. It was unfortunate that they suffered penalty shootout defeats to Platense in the Argentine Apertura and Talleres Cordoba in the Super Cup. Prior to that quarter-final loss, Los Millonarios had been on a five-game winning run.
With 17-year-old sensation Franco Mastantuono still in their ranks, River can beat anyone, especially if their Copa Libertadores form is anything to go by (3 wins, 3 draws).
Monterrey, meanwhile, only have a 7.1% chance of topping the group. Although there is value in backing the Mexican outfit, getting through this group is likely beyond their reach.
The Urawa Reds have been struggling in the J1 League recently. They’ve won just two of their last seven games (2 losses, 3 draws), which means backing them to overcome all three sides is unlikely to pay off.