AC Milan finally got back to winning ways on Friday night as Olivier Giroud’s header secured a 1-0 victory over Torino at San Siro.
The Rossoneri were desperate for all three points in this one after a dismal run of results in recent weeks led to us falling out of the top-four in Serie A while suffering disappointing setbacks in cup competitions.
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With the Champions League returning next week too, Stefano Pioli and the players were in real need of a confidence boost, and we were able to secure that with a much-needed league win to kick-start the weekend.
Admittedly, it still wasn’t a particularly impressive performance and we still have big improvements to make to be as competitive as we were previously, but the result was the most important thing and hopefully we can now build on that.
AC Milan player ratings vs Torino:
Ciprian Tatarusanu, 6.5 – Alert to danger and on hand to produce saves when called into action. Still has his limits and it will be a boost to have Maignan back, but did well in this one.
Malick Thiaw, 6.5 – A solid defensive performance which should have earned him more trust and opportunities moving forward. Needs to tidy up his distribution as he did give away possession a few times, but a positive outing nonetheless and hopefully the start of establishing himself in the side.
Simon Kjaer, 5 – Not a great shift on this occasion as he did struggle dealing with Sanabria and risked making a big error which could have led to a goal for Torino as he lost his footing in front of goal. Understandable what Pioli was going for with the balance in the back three, but this will need to be looked at.
Pierre Kalulu, 6.5 – Unfortunate not to register an assist after setting up Theo, but he impressed defensively, particularly in the second half as he grew into the game along with the rest of his Milan teammates.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 5 – Made a decent start and was switched on with his defensive duties. However, made very little impact thereafter going forward as we lacked quality play down that flank.
Rade Krunic, 6 – Solid shift as he did the dirty work in midfield to give us a foothold in the game. Need more quality in possession from him, but did his job well on this occasion as we fought hard to win the midfield battle.
Sandro Tonali, 6 – Isn’t in his best form as he looks to be struggling and fatigued. However, he never gives up and continues to scrap in midfield to give us some sense of control. Will benefit from the return of Bennacer, whether that’s to play alongside each other or to get a rest.
Theo Hernandez, 6 – Wasteful in front of goal, but put in an important shift defensively down that left flank while also getting forward and providing width and a direct goal threat. Made a pivotal contribution with a good delivery to find Giroud for the winning goal.
Brahim Diaz, 5.5 – Always looking for pockets of space, to link things up and probing for holes in the opposition defence. Deserves credit for that side of his game, but needs to be more decisive in the final third and make that creative ability count.
Rafael Leao, 5.5 – An improvement on recent weeks, but still not as impactful as we know he can be. Adjusting to the new role in the tweaked system, at times it suited him as he looked a threat up against the Torino defence, particularly when drifting towards the left, but otherwise couldn’t influence the game in a significant way.
Olivier Giroud, 7 – Did struggle in the first half but wasn’t helped by a lack of service or support in the final third. As he has a habit of doing though, stepped up in a big moment for us with the winning goal as he produced a brilliant header to break the deadlock. Hopefully the spark needed to get him and the team going.
Substitutes:
Matteo Gabbia, 6 – Did well in the closing stages to help us keep things tight at the back and hold out for all three points.
Charles De Ketelaere, N/A
Divock Origi, N/A
Davide Calabria, N/A
Tommaso Pobega, N/A
