Saturday’s Serie A action caps off at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza as defending champions Inter take on surprise package Torino. Despite heading into proceedings level on points, the two familiar woes will exchange tackles in conflicting spirits.
Inter welcomed standout performer Lautaro Martinez back on the scoresheet last weekend. The Argentine superstar ended his five-game scoring drought at the start of the new league campaign with a match-winning double against Udinese, inspiring the Nerazzurri to a goal-glutted 3-2 victory at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Martinez picked up where he left off in midweek Champions League action. The 27-year-old scored off the bench in Inter’s 4-0 rout of perennial Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade. However, Mehdi Taremi ran the show on Tuesday night. The Iranian striker picked up two assists and converted a late penalty en route to a ‘Man of the Match’ coronation.
By contrast, Torino’s eye-catching Serie A start under new manager Paolo Vanoli suffered a harsh reality check last weekend. Lazio triumphed 3-2 in Turin to knock the Granata down from a five-game unbeaten league streak under Ivan Juric’s successor (W3, D2). Torino conceded as many goals in that game as in their previous five combined (4).
Despite that setback, Torino finished round six only two points adrift of early pacesetters Napoli, with ten goals to their name, testifying to Vanoli’s outstanding job in Piedmont.
Match Preview
Inter
Simone Inzaghi’s men are seemingly back on the rails following a sub-par three-match winless run in all competitions (D2, L1), including a 2-1 loss to arch-rival Milan in the famous Derby della Madonnina. Barring that upsetting result, Inter have emerged victorious from all four remaining competitive matches at Meazza this season.
Notably, they bagged multiple unanswered goals in each victory, highlighting the potential for an emphatic triumph against a side they’ve beaten frequently in recent meetings. Indeed, Inter last lost a home league clash against Torino in April 2016, winning six of their seven ensuing H2Hs on this ground since (D2).
As if that’s not encouraging enough, Inter have got the better of Torino in their last three top-flight encounters at home without conceding. However, with two of those three victories yielding a narrow 1-0 scoreline, this may not be a walk in the park as history might suggest.
Torino
Torino’s bid to bounce back from last Sunday’s frustrating home loss hinges on them finding a way past Inter’s backline. Vanoli’s men have fired a blank in four consecutive league matches against the Nerazzurri since a 1-1 home draw in March 2022.
But the wheels have fallen off after a five-game unbeaten Serie A start for only the second time in the three-points-per-win era. Before Lazio’s abovementioned success at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, the Granata suffered an unexpected Coppa Italia elimination at the hands of Empoli, losing 2-1 at home.
As such, the visitors are staring down the barrel of three successive defeats in any competition for the first time since October 2022. Standing on the precipice of an unwanted piece of history, Torino may relish leaving the comforts of their home, considering they’ve yet to lose on the road this season (W2, D1).
Vanoli’s charges have been vulnerable to late slip-ups, though. Three of the last four league goals they’ve conceded came beyond the 85th minute, highlighting the importance of maintaining focus until the final whistle.
Team News
Marquee midfielder Nicolo Barella is still out with an ankle injury, joining long-term absentee Tajon Buchanan on the sidelines. Inter boss Inzaghi rested Marcus Thuram against Red Star, and the Serie A joint-top scorer should regain his place in the starting XI at the expense of Taremi.
On the other hand, Torino will take this trip without highly-rated center-back Perr Schuurs and Croatian forward Nikola Vlasic. Emirkhan Ilkhhan and Zanos Savva are also unavailable due to injuries. The only mystery is up front, with Antonio Sanabria fighting Che Adams for a spot next to Duvan Zapata.
Inter vs Torino Potential Line-ups
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Davide Frattesi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.
Torino (3-5-2): Vanja Milinkovic-Savic; Mergim Vojvoda, Saul Coco, Adam Masina; Valentino Lazaro, Ivan Ilic, Adrien Tameze, Samuele Ricci, Borna Sosa; Antonio Sanabria, Duvan Zapata.
Inter vs Torino Prediction
Given the recent history of this match-up, Saturday’s contest has all the makings of a low-scoring affair. However, Torino’s approach has drastically changed under Vanoli, as evidenced by an average of three goals per game in the first six Serie A rounds.
In any case, Inter should take three points, even if the visitors break their scoring duck in this fixture.
Prediction: Inter to Win
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