Today’s Serie A match between Inter and Torino will involve several Italian players who are expected to start at Euro 2024 and some potential future Azzurri stars.
It kicks off at 11:30 UK time at San Siro, Inter’s first game as Serie A champions.
Italian defenders Francesco Acerbi and Federico Dimarco are injured for the Nerazzurri, but Torino captain Alessandro Buongiorno is available and will start at San Siro. The 24-year-old has made three senior appearances for the Azzurri and is expected to be called up by Spalletti for Euro 2024. He will have chances to start as well, depending on whether Spalletti uses a three or four-man defence in Germany this summer.
Buongiorno will cross paths with Matteo Darmian and Alessandro Bastoni who are expected to be regular starters for Italy at Euro 2024. The same is true of Nicolò Barella, perhaps Italy’s best central midfielder and Davide Frattesi. The latter has only started three Serie A matches for Inter this season but still managed seven goals and five assists in 37 appearances.
The ex-Sassuolo midfielder has made seven appearances under Spalletti with Italy’s national team, scoring three goals, including a decisive brace against Ukraine at San Siro in September.
Torino’s Raoul Bellanova and Samuele Ricci are two names that will be pretty popular among Azzurri fans in the next few years. Ricci, a 22-year-old central midfielder, made his senior debut under Roberto Mancini in 2022 and has two appearances with Italy, none under Spalletti.
Bellanova, on the other hand, was given his senior debut by the Certaldo-born coach in an international friendly against Ecuador last month. He has a chance to be included in the Euro 2024 squad, having scored one goal and provided six assists in 34 matches across all competitions with Torino this term.
Matteo Lovato will start in defence for the Granata but hasn’t yet made his Italy debut, so he won’t be part of the Italy squad at Euro 2024
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