Serie A Preview: Torino vs Inter – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan will put their Scudetto hopes on the line when they take on mid-table Torino on Sunday evening. Stadio Olimpico di Torino has been an intimidating environment for visiting teams in 2025, so three precious points are far from a foregone conclusion.

However, these are far from idyllic times for Torino. Last weekend’s 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Venezia prompted the frustrated club fans to protest against president Urbano Cairo. Torino’s perennial struggles in Serie A mid-table have drawn the ire of the Granata faithful, who hold grudges against the current leadership.

To put fans’ anger in perspective, a fourth consecutive top-half finish is the ceiling of Torino’s aspirations. Marred by a notorious inconsistency, Paolo Vanoli’s men started this round narrowly behind 10th-placed Como. With only three games remaining, every point can prove crucial to keeping them in touch with the top ten.

The stakes are even higher for visiting Inter Milan, though they’ll at least travel in high spirits. Simone Inzaghi’s side pulled off the unthinkable in midweek Champions League action as they eliminated runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona from the semi-finals. In one of the most dramatic match-ups in recent memory, Inter triumphed 4-3 after extra time.

It was a rollercoaster ride at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza following an enthralling 3-3 draw at Montjuic. Indeed, Inter led 2-0 at halftime, only to fall a goal behind in the 87th minute. Yet, Francesco Acerbi drew them level with a last-gasp equalizer before Davide Frattesi’s extra-time heroics saw them book a final date against Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite reaching the most prestigious European showpiece, Inter’s quest to become the first reigning Scudetto holders in five years is on the precipice of disaster. Last weekend’s 1-0 home win against Hellas Verona kept them within a three-point distance of table-topping Napoli. Therefore, there’s no room for error here.

Match Preview

Torino

It will be exciting to see how fans’ rallies against the club hierarchy on the 76th anniversary of the Superga air disaster will affect Vanoli’s team. Torino’s recent form has been underwhelming, to say the least. Except for a 2-0 home win against bottom-half Udinese in April, they’ve failed to win five of their last six league outings (D3, L2).

There’s no better setting than the home comforts of Stadio Olimpico di Torino, where Vanoli’s charges have yet to lose a Serie A match in 2025 (W4, D5). However, well-documented scoring shortcomings continue to mare Torino, who scored more than once in just three of those nine games. It’s worth noting that they emerged victorious on each occasion.

Penetrating Inter’s backline is nothing short of a Herculean task. For context, Torino have lost ten of their last 11 meetings with the Nerazzurri (D1), failing to find the back of the net six times. Against this backdrop, they bagged two goals in October’s reverse fixture at Meazza but still finished on the receiving end of a 3-2 scoreline.

Inter Milan

Fresh off becoming the second manager in Inter history to reach two Champions League finals, Simone Inzaghi turns his attention back to domestic commitments, where his men have recently failed to impress. Indeed, before beating Verona, courtesy of Kristjan Asllani’s early penalty, the Nerazzurri had gone winless in three consecutive games between Serie A and Coppa Italia (D1, L2).

Awkwardly from the division’s most prolific side, Inter drew a blank in all three matches. However, they scored multiple goals in their last three league encounters against Torino, including a comprehensive 3-0 victory in this corresponding fixture in 2023/24. Delivering action from the get-go, Inzaghi’s title hopefuls may draw first blood here.

Inter have netted a league-high 17 goals in the opening 15 minutes, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start. That would significantly increase their chances of taking home all three points amid a rough patch on the road. The visitors have only won once across their last seven away league matches (D3, L3).

Team News

Karol Linetty’s return to training can encourage Vanoli amid the uncertainty surrounding Samuele Ricci’s availability. Yet, standout first-team stars Perr Schuurs and Duvana Zapata remain on the sidelines. In the absence of the Torino captain, it’ll be up to Che Adams to lead the line.

On the other hand, Inter will make this short journey north without Benjamin Pavard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Lautaro Martinez. The latter played through pain before being taken off against Barcelona on Tuesday and will stay in the treatment room as a precaution. As such, Mehdi Taremi could spearhead the visitors’ attack.

Torino vs Inter Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Torino (4-2-3-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Maripan, Coco, Biraghi; Gineitis, Casadei; Lazaro, Vlasic, Elmas; Adams.

Inter Milan (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrij, Augusto; Darmian, Barella, Asllani, Zielinski, Dimarco; Correa, Arnautovic.

Torino vs Inter Milan Prediction

Connoisseurs of action-packed football may want to switch their channels, considering a low-scoring affair will likely be in store. Though Torino have often thrived in such circumstances, they should be out of their depth here.