AC Milan vs. Torino – News and Probable Lineups

Following a significant setback to their narrow Scudetto ambitions last weekend, AC Milan must turn their attention to securing second place in Serie A as they prepare to face Torino on Saturday evening.

Now in a contest with Napoli for the runners-up spot behind the likely champions, Inter de Milão, the Rossoneri’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio has almost certainly dashed their title hopes.

Match overview

Just as the derby victory appeared to revitalize this season’s Scudetto race—narrowing Milan’s gap to Inter to seven points—the Rossoneri stumbled at Stadio Olimpico.

After their city rivals were held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta, Max Allegri’s players traveled to Rome for a vital Sunday night clash with mid-table Lazio.

However, Milan returned without points, suffering their first away defeat in Serie A this season, three months after Lazio eliminated them from the Coppa Italia at the same venue.

A previously unbeaten league run of 24 matches has been followed by two losses in four outings, and such errors could have serious implications at this critical stage of the season.

While Champions League qualification remains uncertain, Napoli has re-entered the race for second place, meaning Milan needs to avoid back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a year.

Historical context indicates this should not be an issue this weekend, as the Rossoneri’s last home league loss to Torino occurred in 1985.

Since that time, Torino have attempted and failed 29 times to overcome their rivals from Milan, losing a total of 20 matches in the process.

After establishing a two-goal lead in their latest encounter last December in Turin, the Granata ultimately succumbed to a 3-2 defeat.

With nearly half of their league matches resulting in losses this season, Torino holds the second-worst defensive record in Serie A, and they have managed just one point in their last five away games.

However, the recent appointment of interim head coach Roberto D’Aversa has positively influenced their performance: Torino triumphed 4-1 against Parma last weekend, with three goals in the second half lifting them further away from the relegation zone.

D’Aversa’s mission is to keep the Granata safe, and they have secured six points from three matches so far, but breaking their dismal away form will likely prove to be more challenging.

Overall, they have conceded 15 goals in their last five away matches, which raises concerns ahead of their meeting with Milan.

Team News

For Milan, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Matteo Gabbia remain unavailable, while Santiago Gimenez is unlikely to participate after recently returning from a four-month injury absence.

On a more positive note, Allegri will be glad to have Adrien Rabiot back, who missed the clash against Lazio due to a suspension. He is expected to slot back into a midfield trio alongside experienced playmaker Luka Modric.

Despite turning 40, Modric has played more minutes (2,366) than any other Rossoneri outfielder in Serie A this season, achieving his highest league tally in five years.

The hosts have four players competing for two positions in attack: Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug, Rafael Leao, and Christian Pulisic are all vying for a place in the starting lineup.

The latter two had a public falling out last week amidst a period of poor form, yet Pulisic did manage to score twice against Torino in December.

Torino captain Duvan Zapata also found the back of the net in the last fixture, bringing his career total to eight league goals against Milan.

Moreover, the veteran forward scored against Parma from the bench last weekend, so he will aim to displace either Che Adams or Giovanni Simeone at San Siro.

Only the availability of Zakaria Aboukhlal is uncertain, as the Moroccan winger has missed four matches due to two separate injuries, the latest being a knee issue.

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

Torino probable starting XI:

Paleari; Coco, Ismajli, Ebosse; Pedersen, Gineitis, Ilkhan, Vlasic, Obrador; Adams, Simeon

Once a formidable unit, Milan appears to have hit a rough patch, but they should be able to return to winning ways against adversaries that struggle on the road.

In Serie A, Torino has managed only three away victories all season and is conceding goals at a concerning rate while traveling.