Inter Milan sent out a bold statement of intent in their Serie A opener, smashing Torino 5-0 at San Siro in Cristian Chivu’s maiden match as head coach.
Goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez and debutant Ange-Yoan Bonny guaranteed a perfect start for the 20-time Italian champions, who are aiming to reclaim the Scudetto this season.
Bastoni has set the tone in the 18th minute with an amazing glancing header that gave Inter an early lead. The home side then doubled their advantage in the 36th minute when new signing Petar Sucic produced a perfectly weighted pass in behind Torino’s defence, allowing Thuram to slot home his first goal of the campaign.
Inter came out firing after the interval and quickly tightened their grip on the contest. Six minutes into the second half, Martinez punished a wayward pass from Gvidas Gineitis to calmly slide in Inter’s third. Thuram then struck again in the 55th minute, rising to head home Bastoni’s deep cross and effectively sealing the points.
The rout was completed in the 72nd minute when Torino’s sloppy passing once again proved costly. Bonny, the France under-21 international, pounced on the mistake and hammered home his first goal for the club, capping off a dominant performance.
The emphatic victory underlined Inter’s ambition to challenge reigning champions Napoli after narrowly missing out on the title last season. It also came as a welcome response following the heartbreak of their Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Far from appearing tired or disjointed, Inter looked sharp, energetic and ruthless in front of goal.
Yet the atmosphere inside San Siro was anything but typical of such a commanding display. The usually raucous “Curva Nord” — home to Inter’s most passionate supporters — fell silent for long periods due to an ongoing protest. A large group of ultras remained outside the stadium after being barred from renewing season tickets in their traditional section, a fallout from recent legal rulings against fan leaders.
Earlier this year, several leading figures from both Milan clubs’ ultra groups were handed lengthy prison sentences of up to 10 years for serious crimes, including criminal conspiracy aggravated by mafia methods. Andrea Beretta, once a prominent leader of Inter’s ultras, was also convicted of the murder of a mobster linked to the powerful ’Ndrangheta clan. Investigators believe his faction was involved in the violent power struggle over lucrative matchday operations such as ticket sales, parking control and concessions.
The absence of Inter’s ultras meant that Torino’s travelling supporters were clearly heard inside the stadium, even mocking their team’s rare spells of possession with cries of “ole.” They also directed chants at club owner Urbano Cairo, highlighting growing discontent among the Torino faithful.
For Marco Baroni’s side, the heavy defeat was a stark warning of the challenges ahead. On the evidence of their performance, Torino face a long battle to avoid being dragged into the relegation fight this season.
Inter, however, could take plenty of positives. Five goals, a clean sheet, and contributions from both established stars and new arrivals marked the perfect start to their Serie A campaign — even if much of it was played out in eerie silence.
