Summarize this content to 100 words: Already on course to claim the league title, Inter Milan will continue their quest for a domestic double when they host Torino in Wednesday’s Coppa Italia quarter-final.Two teams in very different form will convene for a cup tie at San Siro, with the winner set to meet either Napoli or Como in the last four.Match previewUnbeaten in 11 Serie A matches, free-scoring Inter have gone through the gears in recent weeks, slowly tightening their grip on top spot while others slipped up.
The Nerazzurri kept themselves clear of the chasing pack last week, comfortably beating Cremonese thanks to first-half strikes from inspirational captain Lautaro Martinez and an increasingly influential Piotr Zielinski.That was a third straight success across all competitions, as Inter pursue silverware to compensate for several crushing disappointments last season.
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Previously, they had beaten Pisa 6-2 and Borussia Dortmund 2-0, with the latter win making sure of a good seeding in the Champions League playoffs, where Norwegian underdogs Bodo/Glimt await.
Now, before resuming their Scudetto challenge with a weekend visit to bogey club Sassuolo, Cristian Chivu’s side must return to their Coppa Italia campaign. Nine-time winners – most recently in 2023 – Inter lost to city rivals AC Milan in last season’s semis, but they entered this term’s competition with a statement of intent, thumping Venezia 5-1 in the last 16.That booked a quarter-final clash with perhaps their favourite opponents: the Nerazzurri have won 12 of their last 13 league meetings with Torino, and each of the last seven by a 17-2 aggregate score.
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Following a 5-0 thrashing there in August, Torino are winless in their last 19 league visits to San Siro – including games against Milan.Given that context, they should have next to no chance of eliminating Inter, but they did defy long odds to knock out Roma with a dramatic last-16 win at Stadio Olimpico.After beating Modena and Pisa in earlier rounds, a Che Adams brace and Emirhan Ilkhan’s late strike secured another cup victory for the Granata, but it has otherwise been a bleak winter.Indeed, a recent streak of four top-flight defeats left boss Marco Baroni clinging onto his job before meeting former club Lecce last weekend.A 6-0 capitulation to Como had even raised the prospect of a relegation fight, but Adams produced his first league goal for two months and took Toro nine points clear of the drop zone.Still, keeping a clean sheet against Italy’s top scorers will be another matter entirely, and Torino may head for Lombardy more in hope than expectation.Inter Milan Coppa Italia form:WInter Milan form (all competitions):W W L W W WTorino Coppa Italia form:W W WTorino form (all competitions):L L W L L WTeam News
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Amid a packed February schedule, Inter boss Chivu is bound to rotate his resources, so squad players such as veteran defender Stefan De Vrij and back-up goalkeeper Josep Martinez could be handed a rare chance.The hosts are still missing regular starters Denzel Dumfries, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella, but Carlos Augusto could return after missing Sunday’s trip to Cremona.Capocannoniere leader Martinez took his tally up to 13 Serie A strikes at the weekend, but he may be rested on Wednesday, offering a chance for Marcus Thuram or Ange-Yoan Bonny to start.As was the case against Roma in the previous round, Torino are also set to make changes.Baroni has suggested that any players with fitness issues will not be risked: Ivan Ilic, Gvidas Gineitis, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Adam Masina and Ardian Ismajli should therefore miss out.As Giovanni Simeone is still struggling with a thigh problem, Duvan Zapata, Alieu Njie, Adams and new boy Sandro Kulenovic face a four-way battle to feature up front.The latter has recently been joined in Turin by midfielder Matteo Prati and centre-back Luca Marianucci, both of whom made their club debut on Sunday.Inter Milan possible starting lineup:Martinez; Bisseck, De Vrij, Acerbi; Diouf, Sucic, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, EspositoTorino possible starting lineup:Paleari; Marianucci, Maripan, Coco; Pedersen, Vlasic, Ilkhan, Prati, Obrador; Adams, Kulenovic
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We say: Inter Milan 3-0 Torino Inter boast a flawless record against clubs inside the bottom half of Serie A – while scoring 33 goals and conceding just six – so they will not slip up in this cup quarter-final.Even if they make multiple changes, the Nerazzurri are also a formidable force at San Siro, where Toro have repeatedly failed down the years. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
