River Plate vs Monterrey Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage
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River Plate were impressive in the first game of their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage campaign as they now take on a Monterrey side, who also performed well.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN & Channel 5 / US – DAZN
River Plate team news: Driussi set to be out
River Plate have a strong and recognisable squad but they are expected to be without striker Sebastian Driussi until the knockout stages after he rolled his ankle whilst scoring the second of their three goals against Urawa Red Diamonds the other day.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Armani; Montiel, Pezzella, Martinez Quarta, Acuna; Fernandez, Perez, Kevin Castano; Mastantuono, Miguel Borja, Colidio
Unavailable:
Questionable:
Monterrey team news: Nothing fresh
There are no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues for Monterrey to deal with so they are expected to name an unchanged eleven for this one with captain Sergio Ramos once again the main event alongside the likes of Sergio Canales and Oliver Torres.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Andrada; Medina, Sergio Ramos, Victor Guzman; Ricardo Chavez, Sergio Canales, Rodriguez, Oliver Torres, Gerardo Arteaga; Ocampos, Berterame
Unavailable:
Questionable:
Key stats
- River Plate have not lost any of their last 19 matches in all competitions (W10 D9 L0), excluding penalty shoot-outs.
- River have faced Mexican teams 18 times competitively with six wins, eight draws and two defeats (W6 D8 L2). Included in those previous contests is a 3-0 victory on aggregate against UNAL Tigres in the 2015 Copa Libertadores final (0-0 a, 3-0 h).
- River Plate have scored three or more goals in five of their last seven outings in all competitions.
- River’s Sebastián Driussi has scored seven goals in his last ten appearances for River in all competitions.
- All three of River’s goals in their 3-1 victory against Urawa Reds were headers.
- Monterrey have played 13 FIFA club competition matches (W6 D3 L4) – more than any other Concacaf team.
- Monterrey have not failed to score in any of their last 15 games in all competitions.
- Sergio Ramos has scored five goals in ten appearances since joining Monterrey in February 2025.
- Both teams started their previous matches with a 39-year-old in their starting XI; Enzo Pérez (39y 115d) for River and Sergio Ramos (39y 79d) for Monterrey. The two veterans met in three fixtures in the Spanish league (2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17) when Pérez was at Valencia and Ramos played for Real Madrid
- River midfielder Matías Kranevitter spent three years with Monterrey, making 103 appearances for the Mexican club, before rejoining River Plate in 2023. He was a Concacaf Champions League winner in 2021 having also won the 2019/20 Mexican Cup.
- Maximiliano Meza is another ex-Monterrey player in the River squad. He was with the Mexican club from January 2019 to August 2024, winning the Concacaf Champions League twice, in 2019 and 2021, as well as the Liga MX Apertura in 2019 and the 2019/20 Copa MX.
- Monterrey’s Argentinian goalkeeper Esteban Andrada joined the club from River’s local rivals Boca Juniors in 2021. He was in the Boca side that lost the final of the 2018 CONMEBOL Libertadores to River, starting the second leg that was relocated to Madrid (1-3 aet).
- Monterrey’s Argentinian midfielder Lucas Ocampos started his career with River Plate (2011/12).
- Monterrey’s Jorge Rodríguez made 11 previous appearances against River Plate during his playing career in Argentina with Banfield (2014-2021) and Estudiantes (2021-2024).
- River’s Gonzalo Montiel and Marcos Acuña played on the winning team against Monterrey’s Héctor Moreno in Argentina’s 2-0 victory against Mexico in the group stage at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
River Plate vs Monterrey prediction
In his second stint in charge, former Al Ittihad boss Marcelo Gallardo has led an impressive and attacking River Plate side into this tournament with ambitions of going deep. They began very well with a comprehensive and comfortable 3-1 defeat of the Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field in Seattle the other day.
Domenec Torrent, formerly of Galatasaray, is overseeing a Monterrey side that began well with an impressive 1-1 draw with Internazionale in the first game of their FIFA Club World Cup campaign. They went ahead via Sergio Ramos, before Lautaro Martinez equalised for the Nerazzurri before half-time.
Monterrey have a fair bit of talent in their side and may well attack River here but the Argentinians remain the favourites for what should be quite a fun watch.
River Plate vs Monterrey tip: River Plate to win & both teams to score
