Torino 1-2 AC Milan: Cisse and Rabiot secure winning start for Amorim
AC Milan marked the start of the Ruben Amorim era in the best possible way as they beat Torino 2-0 away from home.
It took until just after the hour mark for Milan to break the deadlock, but when they did they scored twice in quick succession. Alphadjo Cisse got the first of the campaign with a lovely curling shot, then the substitute Adrien Rabiot netted just a couple of minutes later.
Only a late consolation from Che Adams took some shine off the scoreline, but it was still a job well done by the Rossoneri. After Inter, Napoli and Juventus all won earlier in the round, it is certainly an important three points to get on the board early in the season, especially given what a difficult fixture Torino away has been in years past.
First half: Scrappy and scoreless
There were some surprises in the starting line-up that Ruben Amorim named, with Koni De Winter, Yunus Musah, Ardon Jashari, Pervis Estupinan and Alphadjo Cisse all being given starts. There were also full debuts handed to new signings Mario Gila and Goncalo Ramos.
Milan created the first chance of the game less than two minutes in and it was a flowing transition move started by Musah. The ball was spread wide to Ruben Loftus-Cheek who cut it across the box for Cisse, though the angle was always against him and he hit the side netting with his first-time shot.
Both teams began the game with an intense high press that yielded danger at each end. Firstly Ramos kept a ball alive with a great bit of hustle and Cisse’s cut-back was dying to be tapped in, while at the other end a risky pass across the box from Strahinja Pavlovic was almost charged down.
The game settled into a bit of a lull, but Chukwueze almost brought it quickly to life in the 21st minute when he went on a surging run down the right to the byline. His cut-back found Loftus-Cheek, but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet quickly enough to shoot.
The high press once again yielded a chance for Milan three minutes before the half-hour mark, with Cisse again involved. This time though the shot took a deflection and wizzed just the wrong side of the near post.
Milan’s main weapon going forward was certainly Samuel Chukwueze, and he wasn’t far away from giving his team the lead with a brilliant solo run. He twisted and turned his way into a good shooting position, stabbing the ball low and drawing a reaction stop from the goalkeeper Mascardi.
Chukwueze and Cisse were again involved as Milan produced another good chance in the 32nd minute. A cross to the far stick from the Nigerian found the late run of the Italian, though he went for goal from a narrow angle which left Ramos and Estupinan frustrated having been calling for a header across goal.
Second half: Two quick strikes
After a quiet start to the second 45, it was the home side who threatened first. A free-kick from wide on the left was headed towards the far post by Coco, and it just evaded the run that Simeone had man. At the other end, Ramos headed an Estupinan cross over.
Ten minutes into the second half, Amorim decided to make a double change: Jashari and Loftus-Cheek made way for Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot, with the latter playing as an attacking midfielder therefore.
There was a controversial moment right before the hour mark as Cisse had a cross blocked by the outstretched arm of Vlasic. VAR did take a look at it, but seemingly determined that it was too close range for the Torino man to do anything about.
In the 65th minute, Milan did take the lead that their pressure throughout the game had probably deserved. Musah fed Rabiot down the right side and the Frenchman whipped in a low cross that Cisse brought under control with his back to goal. In one motion he turned and fired it with his instep inside the far post for a delightful first goal in Serie A.
It would be the teenager’s last touch of the ball too, as he was replaced just after scoring by Alexis Saelemaekers, who came on and played in the right-sided playmaker role behind the striker.
Less than two minutes after the opening goal, Milan doubled their advantage as the substitute Rabiot went from provider to scorer. Modric found Chukwueze in his familiar position on the right corner of the box and he swung in a teasing delivery to the back stick, where the midfielder was on hand to volley into the roof of the net from close range.
Njie managed to get the better of Gila down the Rossoneri’s right side and he hit the post with a venomous shot from inside the box, with Maignan not knowing too much about it. Gila seemed to over-extend himself in going for the ball, and was forced off with an injury, replaced by Matteo Gabbia.
Torino got themselves on top and looked for a route back into the game. Firstly Comuzzo missed a decent opportunity from a cross that found him in behind, then Njie should have had an assist when he found Aboukhlal at the far post with a lovely outside-of-the-boot cross, yet the substitute fired wide.
The Granata did finally get on the scoresheet in the third minute of three added and it was an incredible goal in truth. Che Adams was the man who got it, finishing a cross acrobatically with a bicycle kick.
