Inter – Torino: A Wake-Up Call from Milan

25/08/2025 09:51:00 TrophyTracker

At San Siro early this morning, right before the fans’ eyes, Milan suffered an embarrassing 1-2 defeat to the newly promoted Cremonese. This is a warning that Inter must absolutely pay attention to when facing Torino at the same stadium tonight in the latest match of Serie A’s first round.

Because Inter currently is not much different from Milan, having undergone many changes through a deep summer revolution. In fact, Inter might be even less stable, as their swift signing of defensive midfielder Andy Diouf, who just came from Lens, has yet to prove if he can deliver what coach Cristian Chivu requires. After failing to attract Manu Kone from Roma, Inter acted decisively on the Diouf deal and quickly reached an agreement. The French midfielder joined with a contract worth 25 million euros (20 million plus 5 million bonuses), a "muscular" type midfielder that Chivu needs to operate his flexible 3-4-2-1 formation. He is expected to add strength, physicality, and defensive skills to create balance, serving as a platform for technical and creative midfielders like Barella, Calhanoglu, and Sucic.

Diouf’s arrival has made Inter’s midfield more congested than ever, with seven players competing for two or three positions. This might push Piotr Zielinski out, but it also provides Chivu with impressive squad depth to rotate players and execute his tactical plans.

Napoli has won, Inter cannot afford to make mistakes against Torino

However, Diouf is just one piece of the puzzle. Inter is still a "construction site" as the season nears. Coach Chivu admits: "The market is still open, and there is time to add the players we need." In reality, Inter’s starting lineup against Torino tonight is likely to be very similar to the squad that finished last season under Simone Inzaghi, except Petar Sucic will replace the suspended Calhanoglu.

Delays in offloading surplus players such as Pavard, Zielinski, or Taremi have hindered plans to bring in a quality defender. Therefore, the lesson from AC Milan’s shocking defeat to newly promoted Cremonese is extremely valuable. Like Milan, Inter starts the new season with a squad still unsettled and needing time to take shape. Torino, under the leadership of a charismatic and capable coach Marco Baroni, has never been an easy opponent. Any carelessness or lack of cohesion will cause Inter to pay a heavy price.

Inter faces a tough dilemma. They have a quality newcomer, a fresh tactical idea, but lack time and full squad completion. The match against Torino will be the first real test of "Inter-Chivu’s" character, and they must prove they have learned from their rival’s mistakes to avoid a disastrous start.

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