Inter Milan emerged victorious in a challenging encounter against Torino, with Marcus Thuram’s hat-trick proving decisive in a 3-2 win. The match was marked by an early red card for Torino and an injury to their striker Duvan Zapata.
Despite resting key players following their midweek Champions League success, Inter faced a resilient Torino side. The game took a significant turn in the 20th minute when Guillermo Alfonso Maripan was sent off for a reckless tackle on Thuram.
Inter capitalized on their numerical advantage, with Thuram opening the scoring from a header following Alessandro Bastoni’s cross. He doubled the lead with another header, this time from Francesco Acerbi’s delivery.
Torino, however, showed remarkable spirit. Duvan Zapata briefly brought them back into the game, scoring after a defensive error by Yann Bisseck. But Thuram completed his hat-trick, pouncing on a rebound from a Lautaro Martinez header.
The match took a somber turn when Zapata suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury, leaving the field on a stretcher to the concern of players from both teams.
Torino continued to fight, with Nikola Vlasic converting a penalty after Adam Masina was fouled in the box. This set up a tense finale, but Inter managed to hold on for the win.
The result keeps Inter at the top of Serie A, but Torino’s performance, despite playing with 10 men for over an hour, earned them plaudits. The injury to Zapata will be a significant concern for Torino as they look ahead to their upcoming fixtures.
Goals: Thuram 25, 35, 60 (I), Duvan Zapata 36 (T), Vlasic pen 86 (T)
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck (dal 46′ Pavard), Acerbi, Bastoni (dall’82’ De Vrij); Darmian (dal 68′ Dumfries), Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan (dal 77′ Zielinski), Dimarco; Thuram (dal 68′ Taremi), Lautaro.
Torino (3-5-2): Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Coco, Maripan; Lazaro (dal 62′ Vojvoda), Gineitis (dal 62′ Ilic), Ricci (dall’82’ Vlasic), Linetty, Pedersen; Zapata (dall’82’ Karamoh), Adams (dal 32′ Masina).
