Inter Milanvs.Torino

Inter wrapped up their 20th Scudetto in style, by beating their city rivals in the Milan derby, and victory this weekend would keep them on course to surpass 100 points.

Match preview

Following a dominant domestic campaign, Inter's coronation as Italian champions took place in Monday's Derby della Madonnina, as they overcame old foes AC Milan to clinch the Serie A title on home turf - albeit as the official 'away' side at San Siro.

Goals from Francesco Acerbi and Marcus Thuram helped the Nerazzurri move 17 points above Milan with only five rounds remaining, tying Serie A's record for the earliest a team has guaranteed top spot - a feat also achieved by Napoli last year.

Denzel Dumfries was among three players to see red in the fractious finale of a momentous derby, which saw Inter secure a record sixth straight win over their Rossoneri rivals - but that did not stop them securing a 2-1 success and sealing their first Scudetto since the 2020-21 season.

Head coach Simone Inzaghi - previously renowned as a cup specialist - could also celebrate his first top-flight title as a manager, and his team have now scored in each of their last 41 league matches, representing another new best for the black-and-blue side of Italy's second city.

They could yet surpass Serie A's all-time total of 44 by the end of a spectacular campaign, and they will welcome Torino to their title party having gone unbeaten for 28 league games.

Inter (19) and Toro (17) have recorded the most clean sheets this season, so a tight contest may be in prospect, but having won each of the teams' last four meetings in Milan, the hosts can be confident of capping their special week with a win.

Not only have they struggled against Inter at San Siro, but Torino have also lost eight of their last nine Serie A matches against the new champions either home or away, without even scoring in any of the last three.

That has been the story of Toro's most recent outings, too: they have just posted back-to-back goalless draws to all but end hopes of sneaking into Europe for next season - holding Juventus in the Derby della Mole before being frustrated by Frosinone last weekend.

Torino have now finished 0-0 on no fewer than eight occasions this season - which is more than any other side throughout Europe's top five leagues - and a tally of 12 clean sheets since the start of December is truly commendable.

A lack of killer instinct has cost them dearly, though: while they are safely entrenched in mid-table, the Granata could instead be in the thick of the battle for a top-seven finish.

Not known for his willingness to throw the towel in, Toro coach Ivan Juric will not give up on catching nearest rivals Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina, but picking up three points on Sunday is certainly a tall order.

Inter Milan Serie A form:

W

D

W

W

D

W

Inter Milan form (all competitions):

L

D

W

W

D

W

Torino Serie A form:

D

W

W

L

D

D

Team News

Simone Inzaghi is not expected to make many changes to his starting XI, but Inter's head coach could rotate his resources a little, having sealed the Scudetto before the end of April.

One player set to be retained is Matteo Darmian, as Denzel Dumfries received a red card at the end of Monday's Milan derby so cannot compete for a place on the right wing due to suspension.

With only Francesco Acerbi out injured, Inzaghi has an otherwise full squad to choose from, so captain Lautaro Martinez is likely to continue up front, seeking to extend his lead in the Capocannoniere rankings.

Meanwhile, Torino will have boss Ivan Juric and Samuele Ricci back from one-match bans; however, Ricci's fellow midfielder Karol Linetty must now serve a suspension for accumulated bookings.

Ex-Milan striker Pietro Pellegri returned to training this week but may not be called up yet, while Saba Sazonov is also a doubt. Perr Schuurs, Koffi Djidji and Gvidas Gineitis are all ruled out.

Elsewhere, 12-goal top scorer Duvan Zapata leads the line in Toro's trademark 3-4-2-1 formation, in which Inter loanee Raoul Bellanova shuttles up and down the right flank.

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Torino possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Tameze, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Linetty, Ilic, Vojvoda; Vlasic; Sanabria, Zapata

We say: Inter Milan 1-0 Torino

Two of the toughest teams to score against throughout Europe will convene at San Siro, where one goal could prove enough to settle matters in either side's favour. The new champions may start sluggishly following a week of celebrations, but their class should shine through in the end.

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