Inter Milan will be formally crowned Serie A champions if they win against Torino on Sunday and AC Milan fail to beat Juventus. Even if the Milan result doesn’t go their way, a win here pretty much guarantees the league title.
The home team are 12th on the points table with 40 points in their 33 outings. While they do not have much to play for, Torino will be hoping to maintain their three-match unbeaten run in the Serie A.
They are 12 points clear of the drop zone and are 18 points behind AS Roma, who currently occupy the final European slot. After successive wins over Pisa and Hellas Verona, they played out a 0-0 draw against Cremonese last time out. They will have to punch above their weight to take down Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, the visitors are top of the table with 78 points in their 33 outings. They are nine points clear of 2nd placed Napoli with a game in hand and 12 points ahead of AC Milan. If they secure all three points against Torino and rivals AC Milan drop points against Juventus, Inter will officially secure the league title.
Not only have they won each of their last three league outings, but Inter are also heading into this fixture on the back of an emphatic comeback win (3-2) against Como to book a place in the final of the Coppa Italia. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team has a boost ahead of this big game against Inter Milan, as Ardian Ismajli is back from suspension, while Duvan Zapata should be back on the bench. However, they do remain without the services of Tino Anjorin and Zakaria Aboukhlal (muscle) because of injury.
Torino will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where Alberto Paleari will take charge in goal. In the heart of the defence, Saul Coco will partner with Guillermo Maripan and Enzo Ebosse.
The trio will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will receive a lot of support from Marcus Holmgren Pedersen and Rafa Obrador, who will feature as wing-backs.
Gvidas Gineitis and Cesare Casadei will be the two central midfielders. They will have a lot of defending to do, as they are unlikely to have much of the ball. Nikola Vlasic will feature as the attacking midfielder behind the attacking duo of Che Adams and Giovanni Simeone.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Paleari; Coco, Ismajli, Ebosse; Pedersen, Casadei, Gineitis, Obrador; Vlasic; Simeone, Adams
Inter Milan will once again be without the services of skipper Lautaro Martinez because of a thigh strain. Meanwhile, Alessandro Bastoni could also miss this fixture because of an ankle injury.
The visitors will line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Yan Sommer will take charge in goal. Yann Bisseck will start alongside Manuel Akanji and Carlos Augusto in the heart of the defence.
The back three will be eyeing a clean sheet, and they will receive significant support on the flanks by Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco, who will feature as the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Nicolo Barella will partner with Hakan Calhanoglu and Piotr Zielinski. The trio will look to control the tempo and ensure they have the majority of the ball.
With Martinez unavailable, Marcus Thuram will lead the line alongside Francesco Pio Esposito.
Probable Line-up (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito
Having played a pivotal role in Inter Milan’s comeback win over Como in Coppa Italia semi-final second leg, Calhanoglu will now be eager to help his team secure the league title against Torino.
He bagged a brace and set up the winner against Como, and overall, the 32-year-old defensive midfielder has 12 goals and seven assists in his 30 outings. He will not only provide defensive stability but will also help build up play. Given his recent form, he will certainly be one to watch out for.
Inter Milan are poised to edge closer to the Serie A title with a comfortable victory on the road against Torino. Despite the hosts’ solid home form under their new manager and a three-match unbeaten streak, they face a daunting task against the league leaders, who boast four straight wins across all competitions and a flawless record in their last three home clashes with Torino (6-0 aggregate).
With Hakan Calhanoglu in scintillating form and Inter’s midfield dominance likely to overwhelm, expect the visitors to dominate proceedings and potentially clinch the Scudetto if AC Milan falter against Juventus. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
