Sergio Conceicao will want some calmness after a midweek storm as AC Milan focus on securing UEFA Champions League football via Serie A as they travel to Torino.
Paolo Vanoli will relish and dread the prospect of Torino meeting a wounded AC Milan ahead of their clash in Serie A on Saturday. The Granata have won their last two clashes against the Rossoneri on home soil, and they have not had a three-game winning streak against this opposition since 1977.
Torino are not in the best vein of form, as they have managed only two wins in their last ten Serie A games. However, that has not changed their status as a mid-table team. They could have had a better positioning had they not played out a huge number of draws in this period.
Last weekend, they had it tough going against Bologna, as goals from Nikola Vlasic and Elif Elmas following an opener from the opposition through Dan Ndoye stationed Torino for a potential win. However, Ndoye’s strike after that and a late winner via an own goal from Cristiano Biraghi ensured they ended the clash with nothing. Vanoli will hope to turn things around as they play Milan on home soil.
It has been a tough week for AC Milan and their manager, Sergio Conceicao, who will have renewed his objectives ahead of the weekend’s clash with Torino. The Rossoneri were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by a resilient and somewhat fortunate Feyenoord side following the big clash at San Siro earlier this week.
Santiago Gimenez wasted no time in scoring against his former side, as it took barely a minute for AC Milan to get back on parity after their first-leg loss. However, an early second-half red card for Theo Hernandez tilted the momentum at a time when Milan were looking fairly in control over the injury-ravaged Rotterdam side.
With the Rossoneri out of the Champions League, Conceicao’s next objective is to get back in the competition for next season via a higher league finish. Given the UEFA co-efficient rankings, it does appear that England and Spain are the current favourites to have a fifth team in the competition next season, which adds to the pressure on Milan to chase down fourth-placed Juventus, who are five points ahead.
Team News & Tactics
Torino
Torino have a rather long list of missing plays, although not all of them are fresh concerns. Adam Masina might fall into the latter category, as he is suspended for this clash. In terms of injury-led absentees, Borna Sosa, Perr Schuurs, Duvan Zapata, Alieu Njie, and Adrien Tameze are all missing from action.
Torino will set up a 4-4-2 against AC Milan, with Guillermo Maripan and Saul Coco at the heart of the defence. Sebastian Walukiewicz and Cristiano Biraghi will take up the full-back roles. Samuele Ricci should be back into the mix and replace Cesare Casadei in midfield, as Karon Linetty will partner up with him in the central area.
Valentino Lazaro and Yann Karamoh will provide the width. At the same time, Che Adams, who has ten goal involvements in his debut season in Serie A, will partner with Vlasic in the attacking frontline.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Milinkovic-Savic, Walukiewicz, Maripan, Coco, Biraghi; Lazaro, Ricci, Linetty, Karamoh; Adams, Vlasic
AC Milan
AC Milan are sweating on the fitness of Kyle Walker as the defender misses out with an injury, which further depletes Sergio Conceicao’s options in the right-back slot. Alessandro Florenzi and Emerson Royal are the other absentees in the same position, as Milan also continue to miss Ruben Loftus-Cheek. However, the midfielder is close to making a return.
There might be slight changes to the starting eleven following the midweek disappointment. However, Conceico will start with Theo Hernandez at left-back as his red card in the UEFA Champions League does not affect his participation in the league.
They will also have Fikayo Tomori back from suspension, although the defender might not start ahead of Malick Thiaw or Strahinja Pavlovic in the heart of Milan’s defence. Youssouf Fofana is expected to return to the central midfield duties alongside Tijjani Reijnders.
Yunus Musah might start ahead of Christian Pulisic on the right flank, as the American attacker needs some rest to recuperate fully from a recent problem. Joao Felix will reprise the No.10 role, with Rafael Leao keeping his place on the left as Gimenez leads the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Jimenez; Thiaw, Pavlovic, hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Musah, Felix, Pulisic; Gimenez
Key Stats
- AC Milan are undefeated in 34 of their last 38 matches against Torino in all competitions.
- AC Milan are unbeaten in their last four games in Serie A.
- Torino have seen over 2.5 goals in their last three matches against AC Milan in all competitions.
- Torino have lost just once in 11 meetings against AC Milan on home soil
Player to Watch
Joao Felix
The Chelsea loanee had a frustrating outing against Feyenoord earlier this week as he could barely penetrate their defensive setup, largely due to Milan playing a huge proportion of the game with ten men. Felix would like to make amends for those issues over the weekend, with a big performance against Torino.
Sergio Conceicao will want to see personalities in this squad who can help Milan chase down a top-four place, as things look challenging at this moment. For the flair and decent experience, Felix may have to take the chance to be the hero in this Rossoneri side, as a good display against Torino will help him and the team in a big way.
Prediction
Torino 1-1 AC Milan
AC Milan will come into the clash with the added pressure of finishing in a top-four spot following their elimination from the UEFA Champions League. The objective now is to find a place in the competition for next season. For that, they may have to overcome many challenges ahead, especially against Torino, where they have a bad record while losing on their last two visits.
Torino have performed well on home soil against the big teams, as Milan might be in for a tough time against Torino. The home team may have their moments and will look to the idea of not losing, as this game has all the hallmarks of a draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate for Saturday’s game.
