After a defeat to Juventus on Wednesday, Milan looked to bounce back against a Torino team that had been in decent form. Milan still with injuries cobbled together a lineup but this time they had players in their normal positions meaning that Calabria could revert back to right back. From the moment the match started Milan looked poised to respond well after their defeat. They looked calm on the ball and really took the match to Torino. 25 minutes into the match the Torino defence opened up and Brahim Diaz saw Rafael Leao running through the channel. Leao took the ball calmly and slotted in past Sirigu. Just 10 minutes later Milan were awarded a penalty with Andrea Belotti fouling Brahim Diaz in the box. Franck Kessie stepped up to the spot and per usual was calm, cool and collected adding to the Milan lead. At the half AC Milan were up 2-0.
We return immediately to winning ways ❤️
— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 9, 2021
Torniamo alla vittoria. Dai Milan! #MilanTorino #SempreMilan@emirates pic.twitter.com/HLj8mBrAzH
In the second half it seemed as if Milan were content to take it down a notch, sitting back and defending. Even with Milan sitting back, they still looked very much in control. Torino never really had any clear cut chances on the net and Gigio only had to make 1 save. In the 50th minute however Torino were given a penalty but after a Var review it was reversed as Verdi kicked the leg of Sandro Tonali. Tonali was later taken out on a stretcher. This half also saw the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic who looked a tad rusty in the few minutes he played. Nonetheless Milan are back on their wining ways with a 2-0 victory.
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STARTING LINE-UP
Gianluigi Donnarumma: Not much for Gigio to do but the one save that he did make was spectacular. 6.5/10
Davide Calabria: Calabria continued to perform against Torino. Not only in the right back position but also in the midfield again. His versatility and defending prowess is greatly helping Milan. 7/10
Simon Kjaer: Kjaer continues to be the rock on the defensive line. He is the commander back there and holds everyone accountable which this teams needs. Plus his one sliding tackle was perfection. 6.7/10
️ Head over to the app to check out what the Coach and @simonkjaer1989 had to say after #MilanTorino
— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 10, 2021
https://t.co/k2zluibzhx#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/PsjZ0dF27M
Alessio Romagnoli: Romagnoli was better against Torino than he was against Juve. He didn't do anything eye catching but he was solid. 6/10
Theo Hernandez: Like Romagnoli, Theo was much better against Torino. However, he still had a bit of struggle with the Torino right wing back who I think had a very good match. Theo was darting froward a lot but couldn't find the touch to capitalize. 6/10
Franck Kessie: Franck again had another very good performance but he has to capitalize on the chances on the offensive end. He had about two chances to score and if he did then the match would have surely been dead. 6.5/10
As injuries pile up, specifically in the midfield, let’s take a moment to appreciate Franck Kessie and his availability.
— Matt Santangelo (@Matt_Santangelo) January 9, 2021
Since arriving in 2017, he’s become the most capped African player in club history, plays virtually every minute, and puts strong shifts in regularly.
⚫️ pic.twitter.com/9JubwFO2jz
Sandro Tonali: Sandro was solid in the time he was on the pitch. It wasn't anything flashy but it was a step in the right direction. 6/10
Samu Castillejo: Samu was Samu like usual. He ran around, flung some crosses in but didn't create much. 5.5/10
Brahim Diaz: I thought Brahim played a good match. He had a nice assist to Leao on his goal and he did well dropping back to help distribute the ball. I think it is clear that Diaz and Hakan can't play together because they get in each others way. 6.5/10
Jans Petter Hauge: Hauge looked a bit more comfortable but still we can tell that he hasn't adapted just yet. He will need a lot of time considering he has never played on this level before. 5.5/10
Rafael Leão vs Torino (H) @RafaeLeao7
— ACM Comps (@CompsACM) January 9, 2021
pic.twitter.com/OZ9YQU6vg8
Rafael Leao: Leao had another nice performance as the man up top. He had a nice composed finish on his goal and he made a few nice plays that others weren't able to capitalize on. In my opinion Rafa has so much potential but it is up to him if he can reach it or not. 6.5/10
SUBSTITUTES
Diogo Dalot: Dalot didn't impress me much. Against Juve he was good defensively but against Torino he was a bit off. 5.6/10
Hakan Calhanoglu: I do not think Hakan should have played as it could have risked him getting hurt even more. In the time he was on the pitch he played fine but did look a little timid. 6/10
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A bit rusty N/A
Daniel Maldini: N/A