Saturday’s Serie A action gets underway at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino as Torino and Inter go head-to-head in the ultimate 2022/23 matchday. The Turin encounter has all the makings of a ‘dead rubber,’ considering the outcome won’t change anything in terms of the final standings for either side.
It may not necessarily be the case for 9th-placed Torino, who come into the final weekend two points clear of 11th-placed Bologna. A victory would secure a second consecutive top-half finish for the Granata, though it’s a small consolation, given the club’s shy European hopes at the start of the season.
With Bologna heading to season-long bottom-half strugglers Lecce, Ivan Juric’s men will likely have to beat Inter for the first time since January 2019 to keep hold of a top-half spot. Torino should take the field in high spirits following a 4-0 romping of relegation-threatened Spezia last time out. However, knocking the Nerazzurri off their perch will probably require the Granata to go above and beyond.
After a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia final, Inter claimed a goal-glutted 3-2 home victory over Atalanta to cement another Champions League qualification. Speaking of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, Simone Inzaghi’s men will contest the showpiece event for the first time since 2010 later in June.
Saturday’s trip to Turin is their final rehearsal ahead of a mouth-watering clash against perennial Premier League champions Manchester City. As such, Inzaghi may field a second-string lineup to avoid the risk of losing any of his first-team stars ahead of the most significant game of the season.
Match Preview
Torino
Since going down 2-1 to Atalanta in late April, Torino have alternated between winning and drawing in their last five Serie A outings (W3, D2), highlighting the team’s confidence ahead of the season finale. With all three wins in that sequence being accompanied by a clean sheet, breaking the deadlock could prove crucial for the home side’s bid to pull off an upset.
However, Juric’s men have won none of their last six league matches on home turf (D3, L3), netting a measly average of 0.66 goals per game. That doesn’t bode well for Torino’s effort to maintain a decent-looking nine-match home form against Inter in Serie A (W2, D4, L3). But they can draw confidence from beating the Nerazzurri in 50% of their last eight H2Hs held in the season half of a top-flight campaign (W4, D2, L2).
Player to Watch: Nikola Vlasic
Vlasic has soaked up the limelight as Torino’s headline performer lately, racking up a goal and three assists in his last four Serie A appearances.
Inter
Despite sealing Champions League qualification for the sixth successive season, Inter could still make history this term. Two points clear of fourth-placed Milan, the Nerazzurri need to avoid defeat here to become the first-ever Serie A side to finish third or better despite losing 12 times in a single campaign. Considering their penchants for finishing a season on a high, that seems inevitable.
Indeed, they’ve emerged victorious in their last six Serie A games played on the final matchday en route to setting up an unrivaled feat in the club’s history. On the downside, after mustering three consecutive league victories outside Giuseppe Meazza, Inter succumbed to a woeful 3-1 defeat to newly-crowned champions Napoli on their most recent top-flight trip.
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku
It’s been a difficult season for Lukaku, but the Belgian has gone into overdrive lately, clocking up seven goals and four assists in his last eight league outings.
Team News
Apart from Nemanja Radonjic, who’s struggling with a minor fitness problem, Torino can call upon the remainder of their squad for the final weekend.
On the other hand, Inter will take this trip without Milan Skriniar, Dalbert, Joaquin Correa, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. There’s an outside chance for the Slovakian center-back to make the matchday squad, but he’s unlikely to start, nonetheless.
Torino vs Inter Potential Lineups
Torino (3-4-2-1): Vanja Milinkovic-Savic; Koffi Djidji, Perr Schurrs, Alessandro Buongiorno; Wilfried Singo, Samuele Ricci, Ivan Ilic, Ricardo Rodriguez; Aleksei Miranchuk, Nikola Vlasic; Antonio Sanabria.
Inter (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Danilo D’Ambrosio, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi; Raoul Bellanova, Nicolo Barella, Kristjan Asllani, Hakan Calhanoglu, Robin Gosens; Lautaro Martinez, Romelu Lukaku.
Torino vs Inter Prediction
Even though Inzaghi will likely shuffle his pack on Saturday, Inter’s rich vein of form ahead of the kick-off gives them a massive upper hand over Torino. It won’t be steamrolling for the Nerazzurri, yet we expect the visitors to return home with all three points.
Prediction: Inter Win
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