Inter – Torino

Inter will confidently beat Torino in the first round match

The finish in 11th place did not impress the president of Torino, and Paolo Vanoli was dismissed. Interestingly, the "Granata" had also occupied mid-table positions for three seasons prior. Nevertheless, the vacant position was filled by Marco Baroni, who had a decent season at Lazio. Under the new coach, an impressive transfer campaign was conducted by Torino. Simeone, N'gonz, Abukhla, Ajorin, and Ismaily were signed. However, the losses of Milinkovic-Savic and Ricci could overshadow the decent incoming transfers. Baroni's debut at Torino was not particularly bright. In the Coppa Italia, the "Granata" faced the lower division team Modena. Despite being the favourites, the "Bulls" started very poorly. The course of the match changed thanks to the substitution of Abukhla for Ilkhan. The Turkish player's actions largely brought the Turin team to equilibrium. The only goal was scored by Vlasic in the 52nd minute. Towards the end of the match, Duvan Zapata came onto the pitch. However, the forward clearly wasn't ready for a lengthy appearance. Inter lost the scudetto race to Napoli, but there were no major revolutions in the team. Christian Kivu took charge of the "Nerazzurri", and the transfers, as always, were only pinpoint. Zalewski, Arnautovic, and Correa left the club. Incoming players include Luis Enrique, Bonny, Esposito, and Sucic. Unfortunately for the "Snakes", the transfer of Lookman did not go through. However, Inter's stability is the key to their success. Milinkovic-Savic was the main architect of Torino's success last season. Finding a replacement for a goalkeeper of that level is an extremely challenging task. And it is not just about the fact that, thanks to him, the "Bulls" finished the season with an xGA of 11.8. Milinkovic-Savic was one of the creators of Turin's attacks and reliably connected the entire defence. How will young and inexperienced Franco Israel cope with this task? The answer may disappoint. Inter has always played successfully against the "Granata". The "Nerazzurri" have won against their opponent without much problem for five consecutive matches. In the last season, the match at "Giuseppe Meazza" ended with a score of 3:2, and at "Olimpico" – 0:2. A confident victory for the "Snakes" can be expected again. Baroni is a good coach, but it will take him a lot of time to build a team.