TIME MACHINE: AC MILAN v TORINO

AC Milan v Torino, first day of Serie A. It's not unusual for the Rossoneri and the Granata to start their respective seasons with a clash at San Siro. It happened before in the 2016/17 season. For our Time Machine segment, however, we've chosen to travel even further back, 15 years ago in fact, revisiting the victory on 19 April 2009.

Matchday 32 at San Siro features the teams of Ancelotti and Camolese, arriving in contrasting positions in the table. The Rossoneri, in the thick of the race for a Champions League spot, had recently earned 13 points from five matches, highlighted by Inzaghi's impressive performances (a hat-trick against Atalanta, a brace against Siena, and a goal against Lecce). Meanwhile, the Granata, fresh from a vital win over Catania, were embroiled in a tough relegation battle. AC Milan, led by the striking duo of Inzaghi and Pato, also showcased a midfield trio of Beckham, Pirlo, and Ambrosini, alongside the unconventional defensive line of Flamini, Senderos, Maldini, and Zambrotta. The Rossoneri made a strong start, and the first sign of a promising Sunday for them came in the thirteenth minute with the opening goal. Beckham's corner kick was met by Inzaghi's powerful header, marking his seventh goal of the calendar year.

The Beckham-Inzaghi combo proved successful again just before halftime, as SuperPippo, receiving another assist from the Englishman, scored a header to make it 2-0. True to form, Inzaghi completed his hat-trick with another goal on 60', this time assisted by Ronaldinho, who had replaced Pato at the end of the first half. This wasn't the first time SuperPippo had scored a hat-trick against Torino. He has always excelled against this particular opponent. The scoreline became even more impressive with another standout performance from Kaká. The Brazilian first converted a penalty to make it 4-0 (68'). After Franceschini pulled one back for Torino, Kaká set up Ambrosini to make it 5-1 just before the end. This decisive victory, along with the six points earned in the following weeks against Palermo and Catania, effectively secured a Champions League spot for Ancelotti's team.

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