Milan and Torino share the spoils as the teams combine for a 0-0 draw

Patrick Cutrone missed a sitter late on that would have almost certainly been the winning goal as AC Milan drew 0-0 with a Torino side that moved up to sixth in the table following the draw, while Milan stayed at fourth place while moving a point clear of fifth-placed Lazio.

An a couple early chances for Torino were saved by Gigio Donnarumma, as Torino got a shot off in both the second and in the fifth minute, with the header in the fifth minute coming the closest to really challenging for a goal. Donnarumma did well to save the point blank header as Milan started on the back foot in the first few minutes.

Torino showed their intent to play the game a tad more physically than the Milan players were used to in the first few minutes, as the Milan players seemed surprised by the heaviness of the challenges from the Torino defenders.

Torino’s Andrea Belotti put a shot over the top of the crossbar in the 16th minute from just inside the six-yard box after a great attack from Torino after the defense had been unable to close down the marauding Tomás Rincón, who was able to put in a good cross for Belotti to attack.

Milan got their first really great chances around the 30 minute mark, as Higuain set loose towards the Torino goal after getting to a loose ball over the top and charging down the pitch. His shot was blocked by a fortunate intervention by Nicolas Nkoulou, and Cutrone was unable to steer his follow-up shot towards goal.

Suso had been open to Higuain’s right, but Higuain decided to go for the shot rather than put a ball into space for Suso to run onto, which probably would have been the better option. The follow-up corner kicks ultimately lead to nothing and Torino were left unscathed by the chances.

Milan let a few more chances go to waste as the half wound down, with Suso putting a ball wide of the goal while unmarked, no one was close to a cross from Cutrone, and Higuain shot the ball again when a pass would probably have been the better option. On the other side, Donnarumma once again made a good save to keep Milan in the match.

While Donnarumma had kept Milan in the first half with some vital and timely saves, the true story of the first half was the wasteful finishing by Milan, as they had probably a half-dozen chances to put the ball in the back of the net that should have resulted in at least one goal for the hosts.

The second half started much as the first half did, with Torino seeming to be on the front foot while Milan tried to settle down and get back into the groove of the game.

Milan had a great chance around the 60th minute, but Hakan Calhanoglu seemed unable to decide if he was shooting the ball at a wide open net or crossing the ball for Patrick Cutrone, who would have had a tap-in at the far post. In the end, the shot/pass accomplished neither, and the ball rolled harmlessly out of touch.

Milan had seemed to try and claw their way back into the match, but all too often the team seemed just rely on a player trying to make a brilliant individual move, rather than try to string a few passes together and put some pressure on the visitors.

Calhanoglu was taken off for Samu Castillejo in the 71st minute. Calhanoglu had a match to forget, while Castillejo had a chance at to get back in the good graces of Gennaro Gattuso, as the Spaniard had not appeared in very many matches as of late.

Milan kept coming agonizingly close again, with a shot from Higuain in the 84th minute that was directed over the net with a number of players in the box looking to try and set up another Milan player for the shot. Milan had started to turn up the pressure, and Castillejo had been stretching the pitch with his runs at the Torino defense.

Cutrone had a golden opportunity to score the winning goal late in the match, but despite being totally unmarked and wide open in front of net, he put his shot wide, much to the dismay of Milan fans everywhere.

Milan would not be able to get a late winner this time as Torino and Milan shared the spoils at the San Siro, with a number of good chances going wasted by Milan. The defense at least was fairly composed after a shaky start to the match, but Milan will walk away feeling as if they dropped two points on the night.