ROSSONERI SLIP TO DEFEAT AWAY AT TORINO

A poor AC Milan performance saw the Rossoneri slump to defeat in Turin. The Granata ran out deserved 2-1 winners in a game that always promised to be tricky. Two quickfire goals from Djidji and Mirančuk in the first half won the day for the hosts; Messias' goal in the 67th minute wasn't enough. The Rossoneri's long 17-game unbeaten streak away from home in the league, which began after the 4-3 defeat in Florence on 20 November 2021, thus comes to end at the hands of Jurić's outfit.

Spurned chances for Leão in the opening stages, had they been converted, could have changed the tune but the hosts took matters into their own hands and grew into the game. Meanwhile, the Rossoneri looked nervy and struggled to create chances against an organised and resolute Torino side. Milan face a quick turnaround as they host Salzburg in an all-important Champions League game on Wednesday. The stakes are getting higher and we need a better performance.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM TORINO v AC MILAN

THE MATCH
At the start of the first half, AC Milan had two big chances to open the scoring, both falling to Leão: inside three minutes, Brahim played a ball over to the Portuguese star but he didn’t catch it right with his left, after the ball had bounced up; three minutes later, again Diaz with the set up and again Rafa scuffed his shot wide in front of goal. After that sigh of relief, Torino edged their way back into the game and started to put some pressure of their own onto the Rossoneri backline, creating several dangerous chances. The first came to Pellegri after 19 minutes with a right-footed strike that Tătăruşanu turned round the post. Shortly after, Schuurs received a low cross from Lukić, but his first-time strike was straight at Tata. But with 35 minutes on the clock, the home side broke the deadlock through Djidji’s deft header angling into the corner, from Lazaro’s free-kick on the left. Only two minutes later and Mirančuk doubled Toro’s lead picking up Pellegri’s cute lay-off and firing a left-footed shot past Tătăruşanu into the far corner.

The Head Coach made three changes at half-time bringing on Dest, De Ketelaere and Rebić, and a reaction was seen in the first ten minutes after the restart. The Croatian produced a dangerous cross come shot into the area that missed everyone, while the American’s left-footed hit flew just over the bar; they were two chances that maybe deserved more. The Rossoneri got back into the game through Messias, who after 67 minutes took advantage of a mix-up between Buongiorno and Milinković-Savić and fired home from a tight angle to make it 2-1. The goal didn’t revitalise the team enough though, and despite Bennacer and Giroud coming on, the side struggled to create any clear-cut chances. In the closing stages, lots of balls were poured into the Granata 18-yard box, but the home side defended for their lives and held out for the result. Nothing else came of note and the game finished 2-1 to Torino.

MATCH DETAILS

TORINO 2-1 AC MILAN

TORINO (3-4-2-1):  Milinković-Savić; Djidji, Schuurs (76' Zima), Buongiorno (73' Rodríguez); Singo, Lukić, Ricci (84' Linetty), Lazaro; Vlašić, Mirančuk (84' Adopo); Pellegri (73' Karamoh). Subs.: Fiorenza, Gemello; Bayeye, Vojvoda; Garbett; Seck, Radonjić. Coach: Jurić.

AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Tătăruşanu; Kalulu (46' Dest), Gabbia, Tomori, Hernández; Tonali (70' Bennacer), Pobega; Messias, Díaz (46' De Ketelaere), Leão (46' Rebić); Origi (78' Giroud). Subs.: Jungdal, Mirante; Ballo-Touré, Kjær, Thiaw; Adli, Krunić, Vranckx. Coach: Pioli. 

Referee: Abisso. 
Goal: 35' Djidji (T), 37' Mirančuk (T), 67' Messias (M).
Booked: 24' Schuurs (T), 30' Buongiorno (T), 34' Kalulu (M), 68' Jurić (T), 71' Pellegri (T), 77' Pobega (M), 87' Linetty (T), 90' Lukić (T).
Sent off: 70' Jurić (T).

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