Inter and Torino are closing the first round of the Serie A at San Siro, home of Inter.
Facts
- Inter has scored at least twice in their last six Serie A openers.
- Torino is unbeaten in their last three openers.
- The Nerazzuri have had their way with Torino, winning 11 out of their last 12 matches (including one draw), home or away.
- Five of Inter’s last six league games ended with under 2.5 goals.
- Torino ended the season on a 10-game under 2,5 Goals streak.
Betting Tip: Inter – Torino
There is a talent gap between the two teams here, and Inter will look to capitalise on it. Torino did not impress in the preseason, and they struggled in the Coppa Italia against Modena. Inter have an advantage here.
- Recommendation: Inter to win
- Odds: 1.43 (at the time of writing)
Inter
Inter came close to triumph on multiple fronts last season but faltered near the end at all of them, ending up empty-handed.
They reached the Champions League final, where they suffered a 5-0 demolition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, they finished second in the league, just a single point below Napoli, and they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by rivals Milan at the semi-finals.
They also participated in the recent and revamped FIFA Club World Cup but were knocked out there as well, that time in the round of 16 to Fluminense (2-0).
Following their Champions League defeat, manager Simone Inzaghi parted ways with the team and his role was filled by former Inter player and youth team coach Cristian Chivu. It is his second Serie A appointment, after a 13-game stretch last season as Parma boss.
Inter added just three players in the transfer market: striker Bonny from Parma, winger Luis Henrique from Marseille, and central midfielder Susic from Dinamo Zagreb. They did not lose any of their major contributors, and the team is expected to be more or less the same as last season.
Their preseason friendlies were rather positive, including victories over Monaco (2-1) and Olympiacos (2-0), but also a 2-2 draw vs Monza. Starting midfielder Calhanoglu and talented forward Francesco Pio Esposito will miss the opener, serving a suspension from the end of last season.
Torino
Torino finished yet another season hovering near the middle of the standings, this time a bit lower than the year before. They finished in 11th place, and the club’s aimlessness led to the firing of Paolo Vanoli, despite his three-year contract.
Torino looked at a variety of replacements but settled on Marco Baroni, recently let go by Lazio. Baroni will have the tall task of turning Torino into a team that can compete regularly for the top third or quarter of the standings.
The transfer market left the team rather weakened, as standout goalkeeper Milinkovic-Savic was sold, as well as leading central midfielder Ricci. Sporting’s Israel was purchased to fill the Serbian goalkeeper’s place, and the most expensive addition was that of winger Aboukhlal, arriving from Toulouse.
Attacking reinforcements mainly were centred around Giovanni Simeone, who made his way north from Napoli. The team’s defensive performances in most of their competitive friendlies were shaky (3-1 defeat to Monaco and 3-0 defeat to Valencia), as was their overall performance against Modena for the Coppa Italia; Torino managed to squeak past by a single goal (1-0).
