With the international break over, the final lap of the marathon that has been the 2015-16 Serie A season is about to commence and Inter Milan is looking for a way back into Italy’s top three.
It is highly unlikely, but still an achievable target at this point in time and Roberto Mancini’s side heads into the final eight games of the current campaign with wind in their sails.
Unbeaten in the last four showings over all competitions, the Nerazzurri go into the upcoming clash against Giampiero Ventura’s men in form, though with a slight hint of uncertainty as well after the disruption that was the international break.
The two sides last met in the league in November, when Inter were flying high and being prematurely, and mistakenly, labelled as title contenders by some. The result ended 1-0 in favour of the Milanese side, with Frenchman Geoffrey Kondogbia netting his first for the club, though plenty of heroics between the sticks from Samir Handanovic were required in order to achieve this scoreline on the day.
POPULAR ARTICLES
Southampton’s conundrum: Graziano Pellè vs Charlie Austin, form vs consistency
Five reasons why Hamburg are flirting with Bundesliga relegation once more
Why Mohamed Elneny brings much needed balance to Arsenal’s midfield
The Premier League’s top 10 most dispossessed players [INFOGRAPHIC]
Now, with Inter battling to salvage something from a season that began so well but has fizzled, and Torino scrambling for points in order to distance themselves further from the relegation zone, a tight battle is expected at the San Siro. It is, however, a result that Inter are arguably in more dire need of.
Five points behind AS Roma, who the Nerazzurri drew with in the previous round, and behind Fiorentina only on goal difference, a win to kickstart their battle to reclaim a place in Serie A’s top three is undoubtedly key on Mancini’s agenda.
A 3-0 second-leg victory in the Coppa Italia against Juventus, the aforementioned away draw at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma, and the positive performances that were displayed in the victories against Palermo and Bologna in between those two games exhibits the capability Inter maintain of finishing in the final Champions League berth. A missed opportunity against Torino this weekend though, could undo all of the club’s hard work thus far and plunge them into the disarray that threatened to severely derail their season in the weeks prior to these results.
Failure to claim maximum points against the Granata would almost ensure the team to be devoid of confidence in the following rounds, with Fiorentina and Roma likely to pull away in any case of a slip up. Now that Mancini seems to have the backing of his players once more, a victory against Il Toro would be a huge step in the right direction and it would keep the pressure on the two other sides challenging for the final Champions League place.
In addition to this, Inter arguably have the easiest run-in of the three sides, meaning a victory against Torino is likely to be backed up in the coming weeks and would build a staggering amount of momentum that the Nerazzurri could utilise during the final fixtures.
Usually a challenging opponent, but one that has been lacking conviction and assurance this season in comparison to the previous one, the side from Turin represents an obstacle that should not be too difficult to overcome. In saying this, though, Torino always pose a threat with players such as Ciro Immobile, Andrea Belotti, Kamil Glik and Daniele Baselli at their disposal.
If Inter were to lose out at the San Siro against 13th-placed Torino, it could possibly spell the end for their Champions League aspirations. They simply need to keep up with the rest of the pack and ensure pressure is being applied to their rivals.
A victory against Ventura’s men keeps the Nerazzurri on the right path and in contention, whereas a loss would all but condemn their dream as well as their season over. The final chapter of Inter’s campaign begins here, and it could have a huge influence on how it will end.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
