Inter Milan will have a chance to celebrate their 20th title with the fans at the Giuseppe Meazza when they welcome Torino in Serie A on Sunday evening.
It was a historic evening for Internazionale on Monday night, as they defeated arch-rivals AC Milan by two goals to one in the Derby della Madonnina to be crowned Italian champions for the first time since 2021. Inter Milan now face Torino as they play their first home game since their coronation.
It was their 20th top-flight title, and they will now don a second star on their emblem. Simone Inzaghi’s Nerazzurri were impressive throughout that clash at San Siro. But a few fights at the end of the game threatened to overshadow Inter’s triumph.
Having exited both the UEFA Champions League and Coppa Italia, Inter now have little to play for in the rest of the campaign. But winning all five of their remaining matches would see them reach 100 points.
Torino, meanwhile, find themselves in seventh place in the standings, six points behind Lazio, who presently hold the final European spot. With six rounds remaining, Ivan Juric’s side hope to retain their chances of competing in Europe next season by beating Inter.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Denzel Dumfries is suspended following his altercation with Theo Hernandez in the Milan derby. The game got out of hand in the end, and the referee had to dismiss both players. Veteran wing-back Juan Cuadrado is expected to return to the squad after missing two games due to muscle fatigue. So, Simone Inzaghi has an almost full hand to choose from.
Yann Sommer is likely to keep his first-choice status in between the sticks for Inter. At the back, Benjamin Pavard, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni will form the three-man defence. The width in attack will be supplied by the two wing-backs, with Federico Dimarco and Matteo Darmian likely to make darting runs at the back post.
Nicolo Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Hakan Calhanoglu will form the midfield trio, with Marcus Thuram operating as the left-sided forward. Star striker Lautaro Martinez is keen to play and score to improve his standing in Europe’s Golden Boot race. Although the Argentine is set to finish as the top scorer in Serie A, he is ten goals behind Harry Kane for the European Golden Shoe.
Probable Lineup XI (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
Torino
Torino boss Ivan Juric is currently dealing with a bit of an injury crisis, with several players unable to make the short trip to Milan. The centre-back pair, Perr Schurrs and Koffi Djidji, won’t return to action at the beginning of May. Gvidas Gineitis and Saba Sazonov are the latest players added to the injury list following April setbacks.
Ivan Juric is expected to stick with his customary 3-4-1-2/3-4-2-1 formation, in which the two attackers are bolder at pressing higher up the pitch. Alessandro Buongiorno will take his place at the heart of a back-three, with Adrien Tameze and Ricardo Rodriguez as his defensive partners. Meanwhile, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic will take his place between the sticks for the visitors.
Karol Linetty, Raoul Bellanova, Ivan Ilic, and Juan Pablo Vojvoda could be retained in Toro’s midfield. Leading the line up front, Duvan Zapata should be supported by Nikola Vlasic and David Okereke.
Probable Lineup XI (3-4-1-2): Milinkovic-Savic; Tameze, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Linetty, Ilic, Vojvoda; Vlasic; Zapata, Okereke
Key Stats
- Inter were newly crowned Seria A winners, earning their 20th Scudetto Monday night at San Siro, defeating fierce rivals AC Milan (1-2).
- The hosts dominated the Italian top division from beginning to end, suffering only one setback thus far (1-2 against Sassuolo).
- Inter narrowly defeated Torino in the last two games at the Meazza.
- Torino have failed to score in the last two games.
- Inter Milan have the best attack with 79 goals scored, and defensively, they have only conceded 18 goals this season.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
Inter finally reclaimed the Scudetto after two years. It truly was a team effort, but one name stands out with great form and deadly scoring skills: Lautaro Martinez. Also known as “El Toro,” he has been in exceptional form this season with a remarkable tally of 23 goals in 29 Serie A games, positioning him as the league’s top scorer.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-1 Torino
Inter Milan’s title celebrations will have been extensive for winning the title in such dramatic, fiery circumstances, and they may start somewhat slowly against Torino as a result. Despite the hangover from their Scudetto party, the Nerazzurri should still be too hot to handle at the Meazza for Torino.