Sunday’s Serie A action closes out at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino with a handsomely-looking encounter between bottom-half Torino and title contenders Inter. Despite languishing in mid-table lethargy, there’s no doubt that Ivan Juric’s team will give the reigning champions a run for their money.
Lautaro Martinez’s sublime finish fired Inter to a Pyrrhic 1-0 win away to Liverpool in the return leg of their Champions League last-16 in midweek. A 2-0 first-leg defeat at home eventually spelt disaster for the Italians’ pursuit of their first appearance in the competition’s quarter-finals since 2010/11, allowing Simone Inzaghi’s side to switch their focus to domestic proceedings.
After Milan’s hard-earned 1-0 home win over Empoli on Saturday, Inter can ill-afford to drop the points against Torino if they are to stay within touching distance of the current pacesetters. Luckily for I Nerazzurri, Juric’s men have had a tough time in Serie A of late, with no win from their last six league outings (D3, L3), including a 2-1 defeat to relegation-battling Cagliari in their most recent home fixture.
Torino Preview
Even though relegation has long ceased to be a concern, Il Toro will feel desperate to win here and inflict revenge on Inter for losing each of their last five Serie A encounters. That’s a stark contrast to Torino’s five-game H2H record preceding this run (W2, D3), with both those wins coming at home by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
A lack of scoring prowess has been a glaring issue for Torino of late. They have failed to get on the scoresheet twice in their last six Serie A matches, scoring precisely once in each of the remaining four in that sequence. But it’s worth mentioning that as many as 79% of their league goals scored this season have come at home (26/33).
Indeed, far more comfortable on home turf, Torino have registered a clear majority (71%) of their total Serie A points amassed this term at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino (24/34). However, a brace of 2-1 defeats at the hands of Cagliari and Venezia put them at risk of losing three consecutive league home games for the first time under Juric.
Inter Preview
Inter’s hopes of defending the Serie A crown for the first time in over a decade are hanging by a thread despite their overwhelming 5-0 win over dead-last Salernitana last time out. Inzaghi’s side had alternated between draws and defeats across their previous four Serie A fixtures, dropping five points below table-topping Milan in the process.
Inter could win back-to-back league games for the first time since the calendar year flipped to 2022. To do that, I Nerazzurri will have to defy their underwhelming Serie A form on the road, having drawn their last three league away matches, including a scoreless draw at relegation-threatened Genoa in their most recent domestic travel.
There is a piece of unwanted history looming, as Inter could draw four consecutive away league outings for the first time since 2004 under Robert Mancini. On the bright side, their character has been off the charts in Italy’s top-flight this season. The visitors are the only team in Serie A to have gone unbeaten in 100% of away league matches after conceding the opening goal (W3, D1).
How Could Torino Line Up?
In addition to first-choice goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Torino will be without Mohamed Fares and Dennis Praet for this encounter. The Serbian shot-stopper’s absence will put Etrit Berisha between the sticks for only the second time this Serie A season.
However, Juric will have all of his standout forwards, including captain Andrea Belotti, fit and firing for Sunday’s showdown.
Torino Potential Starting XI:
(4-3-2-1): Etrit Berisha; Armando Izzo, Gleison Bremer, Ricardo Rodriguez, Wilfried Singo; Rolando Mandragora, Karol Linetty, Mergim Vojvoda; Tommaso Pobega, Josip Brekalo; Andrea Belotti.
How Could Inter Line Up?
After suffering an injury at Anfield, Stefan de Vrij faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines, forcing Inzaghi to reintegrate out-of-favour centre-back Andrea Ranocchia into the starting line-up. Meanwhile, winter signing Robin Gosens could make his first Serie A start for Inter at the expense of long-serving stalwart Ivan Perisic.
Marcelo Brozovic, who picked up a knock in Tuesday’s fixture in Merseyside, will miss out on his side’s visit to Turin. That should open up space for Arturo Vidal in Inzaghi’s preferred double-pivot in front of the backline trio.
Inter Potential Starting XI:
(3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Milan Skriniar, Andrea Ranocchia, Alessandro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Arturo Vidal, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Robin Gosens; Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko.