AC Milan host Torino at San Siro for the second time in a few weeks on Friday night desperately needing to turn a corner after a dreadful run of form.
Milan have had a terrible start to the new year having won just one of their eight games to begin 2023 across all competitions, which includes being eliminated from the Coppa Italia and losing the Supercoppa final to Inter, as well as dropping from second in the table to sixth.
Stefano Pioli believes that the team have what it takes to turn around a bad moment, with the addition of some more tactical tweaks after the 4-2-3-1 was ditched.
Game date: Friday, 10 February
Kick-off time: 20:45 (CET)
Venue: San Siro
Referee: Giovanni Ayroldi (VAR: Chiffi)
Team news
As mentioned, Milan are not on a great run at the moment and the 1-0 defeat against Inter on Sunday – the fourth in a row in all competitions – saw a formation change to a 3-5-2 system that resulted in zero shots on target.
The big story in the build-up to the game has been the possible return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is back in full training with the squad and should be named on the bench, though there are doubts about how long he can play (if at all) following eight months of absence post-surgery.
In terms of the other injury news Alessandro Florenzi and Mike Maignan will both not be available as both continue their recoveries from long-term problems, while Ismael Bennacer and Fikayo Tomori are getting better but will not be risked ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg against Spurs.
According to Sky (via MilanNews), Pioli is expected to name a three-man defence again consisting of Malick Thiaw, Simon Kjaer and Pierre Kalulu ahead of Ciprian Tatarusanu, meaning Matteo Gabbia would drop to the bench.
Instead of the 3-5-2 fielded in the derby it should be more of a 3-4-3 with the midfield double pivot made up of Sandro Tonali and Rade Krunic given Ismael Bennacer’s injury, with Alexis Saelemaekers (preferred to Davide Calabria) and Theo Hernandez flanking them.
Brahim Diaz should come back into the line-up and play on the right of the front three, which should be completed by Rafael Leao on the opposite side and Olivier Giroud as the centre-forward.
Probable Milan XI (3-4-3): Tatarusanu; Thiaw, Kjaer, Kalulu; Saelemaekers, Tonali, Krunic, Theo Hernandez; Diaz, Giroud, Leao.
The opponents
Torino head coach Ivan Juric has claimed that he is ‘afraid of everything’ about Milan ahead of the game in what was a rather complimentary pre-match interview, but he has every reason to feel confident.
Torino have already got the better of the Rossoneri twice this season with Juric’s side having won the game at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in the reverse league fixture back in October 2-1, and having dumped Milan out of the cup with a 1-0 extra-time win last month despite having 10 men from 70 minutes onwards.
Torino had a mixed start to the campaign as they won three of their first five league games but then lost four of their next five. However, they keep the dream of a European spot alive having only lost once in 2023 as they sit eight points behind the Europa League spots, and therefore eight points behind Milan too.
In terms of selection news, Juric is not expected to have Pietro Pellegri available due to a thigh problem so he will not face his former club, thus leaving Antonio Sanabria as the only fit recognised striker.
Samuele Ricci has a calf problem that will see him miss a few weeks, while wing-back Valentino Lazaro and centre-back David Zima both have knee issues that will keep them out for the longer term. Winger Nemanja Radonjić should miss out too.
Probable Torino XI (3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Schuurs, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Aina, Linetty, Vieira, Vojvoda; Miranchuk, Vlasic; Sanabria.
Head to head
Torino are the team that Milan have faced the third-most in their history, having faced the Granata 195 times across all competitions with 74 wins, 67 draws and 54 defeats in that time frame.
As mentioned Torino have already gotten then better of the Diavolo twice this season and will aim to make it three in a row, while it is worth noting that Milan have not lost a home league game against Torino since March 1985.
Last season the home Serie A game was decided by a solitary Olivier Giroud goal as Rade Krunic flicked on a corner at the near post and the Frenchman was waiting to tap in at the far post.
Match facts…
➤ Torino have won just three of their last 30 Serie A meetings with Milan (D12 L15), although this includes their last one in October – they could win both top-flight games against the
Rossoneri in a season for the first time since 1984/85.
➤ Torino have won their last two meetings against Milan in all competitions; they last defeated them in three successive matches in 1968/69 (two in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals and one in Serie A).
➤ Milan are unbeaten in their last 26 Serie A home games against Torino, picking up 18 wins and eight draws. Their last such defeat was back in March 1985 (1-0 thanks to Walter Schachner’s goal).
➤ Milan have lost their last four matches in all competitions; they have never lost five games in a row within a single season since 1929/30.
➤ Milan have lost just 9% of their Serie A games played on a Friday (2/22) – among sides with 3+ matches played on this day in the competition, this is the lowest loss percentage.
➤ After their 1-0 win against Udinese last time out, Torino could keep a clean sheet in two Serie A matches in a row for the first time since April 2022, when the second one was against Milan.
➤ Milan’s Stefano Pioli has lost his last three Serie A games; he last lost more league matches in a row as a manager with a single team in October 2012 as Bologna boss (four in a row).
➤ Milan’s Ante Rebic has scored more Serie A goals against Torino than any opponent, scoring five such goals against the Granata, including his very first strike (May 2014 for Fiorentina) and his only such hat-trick (May 2021 for AC Milan) in the competition.
➤ Rafael Leão has been subbed on in both of his last two Serie A games; he last played three league matches in a row as a substitute between March and July 2020 (four in a row). The Portuguese forward has failed to score or assist a single goal in his last three appearances in the competition, and could do so in more appearances in a row in Serie A for the first time since April
2022 (five).
➤ Torino’s Antonio Sanabria has scored the most Serie A goals this season without one coming at
home, with each of his four goals in the competition this term coming in away games so far.
Ones to watch
For Milan there is a real need to get three of their star men out of the post World Cup rut they are in. Theo Hernandez should start at left wing-back and will hope for a first goal since the November win over Spezia, while Rafael Leao should come back into the XI aiming to prove why he should be never left out again, and Giroud too is in need of a big goal.
Further back, the midfield double pivot will be under examination against a side who try to outnumber down the middle, and there will be excitement to see if Alexis Saelemaekers and Malick Thiaw can continue their good work after impressive cameos against Inter.
For Torino, the most impressive performers have been the front three with Classic, Miranchuk and Sanabria all scoring four goals each and adding a combined five assists too. However it is the wing-back Vojvoda who stands out in the latter category, with four assists on his own.
Vieira should step into a midfield which is struggling with injuries and now has no Sasa Lukic after he went to Fulham, while Schuurs and Rodriguez will anchor the defence with one being an ex-Milan target and the other a former Rossoneri player.
Prediction
We would love to be able to say Milan will snap out of their skid with a swashbuckling attacking display and a big win, but it feels like this is a mentally fragile team coming up against one that are hard to beat, will be full of confidence and have already established themselves with the three-man defence.
Milan 1-1 Torino
Dont kid yourself. We’re losing 0-1 tomorrow
Agreed!!
Torino got stronger than last year because they lost Pobega and we gained him 😂
This game has the hallmarks of a tight Milan win. Most likely 1-0.
Yep😎
We will win this match ,especially with leao and Olivier Giroud up front …have full confidence in this team and also the manager pioli …Olivier Giroud and Rafeol leao will produce …All we need to restore confidence in the team is to win this game …
I’m not watching this game, and the game in the Champions League. Milan will get torn to shreds. Bye bye Serie A title. Bye bye Champions League for another 7 years. Useless cows…