Match Recap: Milan Draws Torino 1-1 in Dull Encounter

Milan and Torino came into the game on opposite runs of form. Torino has been surging up the table and came into the game in fifth place, while Millan was coming off of a 4-0 annihilation at the hands of Napoli.

In the first half there were very few clear-cut chances on either side. Milan's new 4-3-3 formation looked similar to the 4-3-1-2 that Milan has been playing up until this point, and not in a good way. Alessio Cerci and Giacomo Bonaventura had their individual moments, but they both failed to link up with Luiz Adriano effectively and really didn't provide much width.

Milan was unhappy with the way the whistle blew for most of the first half. Adriano was pulled down inside the box by Torino captain Kamil Glik, but the referee wasn't having any of it. Later on, Bonaventura was hacked down just outside the box in an altercation which looked like a sure foul, but again the referee waved the play on.

Milan grew into the game as the first half progressed and began to dominate possession. Torino was mostly limited to counter-attacks down the flank of the impressive Davide Zappacosta, as Milan did a good job limiting their offensive influence. At halftime Torino hadn't attempted a shot.

The chance of the first half came from Bonaventura's free kick, which just missed the top left corner by a matter of inches.  At the end of the half Milan were well positioned for another free kick and, oddly enough, Alex was the man to take it; his low, driven shot missed the net by a considerable distance. All in all the first half was slow as both teams struggled to find a rhythm and create chances of consequence.

Ten minutes into the second half Carlos Bacca came on to replace the disappointing Adriano and made an immediate impact, roofing the pass that came in from the left wing. Not long after the Bacca goal, Torino started to turn up the pressure on Milan, and Milan buckled.

Former Milan target Daniele Baselli made an intelligent run into the box, and was expertly picked out. Baselli then finished deftly into the bottom left corner. Questions have to be asked about Diego Lopez on the goal as he looked to be in fine position, but was beaten low to the short side. The Spanish keeper just about atoned for his early error by stoning Maxi Lopez on a one-on-one chance after Riccardo Montolivo stumbled over the ball and sent Torino on a dangerous counter-attack.

This was a very lacklustre performance from Milan. The change in formation didn't yield any noticeable differences to the style of play, and the lack of fight the team displayed after Torino equalized was apparent. On the flip side, taking away a point from a difficult opponent in their stadium isn't the worst result in the world. It may be heresy to say Milan drawing Torino isn't all bad, but these are the times we're living in.