Serie A: Inter Milan title party stalled by dramatic Torino comeback in 2-2 draw
Inter Milan‘s Scudetto party will have to wait a little longer after a breathtaking second-half collapse saw them surrender a two-goal lead at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, drawing 2-2 in a dramatic Serie A encounter on Sunday afternoon that left the champions-elect simultaneously frustrated and just one win from glory.
The Nerazzurri arrived in Turin coming off a spectacular week, having gone 12 points clear at the top of the Serie A table before fighting back from two goals down to beat Como 3-2 in the Coppa Italia, setting up a final against Lazio on 13 May. All the ingredients were in place for Inter to take a monumental step towards their 21st Scudetto, but Torino, fired by the electricity of their home crowd and the sheer refusal to be swept aside, had other ideas entirely.
Inter were without talismanic striker Lautaro Martínez, and Alessandro Bastoni, Hakan Calhanoglu and Denzel Dumfries were all rested, with Cristian Chivu opting to rotate ahead of a busy conclusion to the season. Torino, meanwhile, welcomed back veteran striker Duvan Zapata and centre-back Ardian Ismajli, the latter returning from suspension, as Roberto D’Aversa named a side determined to make life uncomfortable for the league leaders.
The opening exchanges suggested that ambition was more than mere wishful thinking. In the very first play of the match, Giovanni Simeone made a darting run into the box and got a shot away, only for a defender to produce a brilliant last-ditch block that kept the score level. Torino’s intent was clear, their pressing sharp and their movement purposeful, and for a team sitting in mid-table with little left to play for in terms of league position, they were displaying the kind of urgency that Inter simply could not match in those early stages.
But class, ultimately, will tell. And in the 23rd minute, Inter demonstrated precisely why they have been the dominant force in Italian football this season. Federico Dimarco, the left-back who has redefined what it means to contribute from deep positions, swung in a perfectly weighted cross from the left, and Marcus Thuram — sharp, powerful and brilliantly positioned — nodded home from close range. It was a goal of such effortless quality that it seemed to belong to a different match from the scrambling, competitive football that had preceded it.
The assist was not merely a statistic. It was Dimarco’s 17th of the Serie A season, breaking the record for assists in a single campaign in Italian football’s top flight. A milestone tucked quietly into the flow of a match, almost unremarked upon in the moment, but significant enough to be etched into the history of the division.
Torino rallied, and there were moments in the remainder of the first half where they troubled Inter’s defensive structure. Rafa Obrador tried his luck from the left side of the box, but his left-footed effort sailed high and wide, the opportunity squandered as the home crowd groaned in frustration. The half-time whistle arrived with Inter in control, their 1-0 lead modest in reflection of their overall superiority in terms of ball retention and tactical organisation.
The second half began with Inter showing the same composed, methodical approach that has made them near-impossible to beat over the course of this season. And on 61 minutes, they effectively put the game to bed — or so it seemed. Ismajli had done well to get in the way of a Thuram counter-attack, but the resulting corner was delivered again by Dimarco, and Yann Bisseck — returning from injury and towering above everyone in the box — headed in off the inside of the far post. The Germany defender, who has been one of Inter’s most improved players this season with his ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch, was rightfully delighted. “Being a tall player, it is important to be a factor on set pieces,” he said afterwards, grinning, before immediately acknowledging that a team of Inter’s quality should never have allowed what followed.
Two goals up, the visitors appeared to be cruising. Inter were keeping the ball with their customary ease, Torino’s previously probing energy seemingly extinguished, and Chivu’s side looked ready to deliver the kind of professional, controlled victory that has been their trademark all season. Then everything changed.
The revival started in the 70th minute with a goal of sumptuous quality from Giovanni Simeone. He received a throughball, backheeled it cleverly into the path of Emirhan Ilkhan, and then sprinted forward to collect the return pass before delicately chipping the ball over the onrushing Yann Sommer. It was the kind of finish that stops stadiums, and the Olimpico Grande Torino erupted. Suddenly, the game had a heartbeat again.
Torino were suddenly a different side, fired up and surging forward, and Alieu Njie — introduced from the bench with fresh legs and renewed purpose — forced a genuinely outstanding save from Sommer at the back post. The Swiss goalkeeper, usually so composed, was scrambling, and the growing momentum belonged entirely to the home side.
Then came the moment that will define the afternoon’s narrative for weeks to come. A cross from the left found Duvan Zapata, on the pitch just minutes after coming on as a substitute, who headed toward goal. The ball struck Carlos Augusto’s arm, which was clearly extended wide of his body. Referee Mariani consulted VAR, and after a tense delay, pointed to the spot. DAZN refereeing expert Luca Marelli subsequently confirmed that the decision was entirely correct.
Nikola Vlasic, Torino’s captain, stepped up and drove the penalty with conviction into the left corner, sending Sommer the wrong way entirely. The Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino shook. Two goals down with twenty minutes remaining, Torino had done the unthinkable.
Inter did not lie down. Henrikh Mkhitaryan had the ball in the net in the closing stages, but the goal was correctly ruled out after Thuram was spotted in an offside position during the build-up. The match ended with both sides pressing for a winner in a frantic final few minutes, Zielinski drilling just wide at one end before Denzel Dumfries made a decisive interception to prevent Zapata from converting a tap-in at the other.
Inter’s structure and circulation had looked in control for the best part of an hour, with 64 final-third entries underlining their territorial dominance, and Dimarco in particular was majestic throughout, completing the game with two assists, five key passes and two big chances created. But football, as this afternoon reminded everyone watching, is not played on spreadsheets.
Bisseck was honest and measured in his assessment afterwards. “Today we did not do very well in the second half, perhaps there was some tiredness. Credit to Torino, but a team like ours with a 2-0 lead should not let themselves be caught.”
Matteo Darmian, characteristically professional in his post-match comments, acknowledged the frustration of dropping two points before quickly refocusing. “We were four points away before tonight and wanted to win but we didn’t manage it. However, only three points remain.”
Three points is all that is needed now. Inter’s draw leaves the Scudetto just a single victory away, with the home game against Parma next Sunday now the likely setting for a title celebration that the Nerazzurri and their supporters have long been anticipating. Bisseck, eyes already fixed on the horizon, summed up the collective mood perfectly. “I think there are no more beautiful emotions than that. It would be a wonderful feeling, but first we must play 95 minutes of football.”
For Torino, this was a reminder of what they are capable of when the stadium is alive and the belief surges through the stands. Under Roberto D’Aversa, they have shown remarkable improvement, coming into the match with just one defeat in their last five league games. A point against the best team in Italy, hauled back from the jaws of defeat, feels like something worth celebrating. In a season of little reward for the Granata faithful, afternoons like this one are currency of a different kind.
