As Serie A action resumes after the midweek European fixtures, reigning champions Inter Milan welcome high-flying Torino to the iconic San Siro on Saturday evening. Both teams are locked on 11 points in the league standings, setting the stage for an enthralling encounter.
Inter Milan have shown signs of improvement after a brief dip in form, securing back-to-back victories in their last two outings. Their 3-2 win over Udinese in Serie A was followed by a commanding 4-0 triumph against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League. However, the Nerazzurri still trail league leaders Napoli and are looking to close the gap.
Torino, under the guidance of Paolo Vanoli, have been one of the surprise packages of the season so far. They briefly topped the table after a 3-2 victory over Hellas Verona but have since suffered setbacks, including a Coppa Italia exit and a home defeat to Lazio. Despite this, their unbeaten away record in the league remains intact.
The historical record heavily favors Inter Milan in this fixture, especially at San Siro. Torino have lost all of their last five visits to Inter’s home ground, failing to score in each of those encounters. This statistic will be a significant psychological hurdle for Vanoli’s men to overcome.
The midfield battle will be crucial, with Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu looking to control proceedings against Torino’s Samuele Ricci and Adrien Tameze. In attack, Inter’s potent duo of Thuram and Martinez will test Torino’s resilient defense, which has been impressive this season.
Team News
Inter Milan will be without key midfielder Nicolo Barella due to a thigh injury sustained in the Milan derby. Either Piotr Zielinski or Davide Frattesi is expected to fill in. Up front, Simone Inzaghi may rotate his strikers, with Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez likely to start after being rested midweek.
Torino received a boost with the expected return of goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who missed the Lazio game with a knee issue. Perr Schuurs remains the only significant absentee for the visitors due to an ACL injury.
Expected Starting XIs
Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Torino (3-5-2): Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Coco, Masina; Lazaro, Ilic, Tameze, Ricci, Sosa; Sanabria, Zapata
Match Prediction
While Inter Milan’s home record against Torino is formidable, the visitors’ strong away form this season suggests they could pose a significant challenge. Inter’s recent defensive vulnerabilities, having conceded multiple goals in their last two league games, could give Torino hope of ending their goalless run at San Siro.
However, Inter’s quality and depth, coupled with their need to keep pace with Napoli at the top, should see them edge a close contest.
Prediction: Inter Milan 2-1 Torino
