Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of the game as the Rossoneri leapfrogged Napoli at the top of the Serie A table. Milan’s win over Torino was their sixth successive success in the league – they remain unbeaten since the start.
Injury troubles, COVID-19 outbreaks, contract disputes, and European commitments have threatened to derail AC Milan’s season. Nonetheless, the Rossoneri will spend at least half of matchday 10 on top of Serie A after beating Torino 1-0 in their latest domestic obligation.
Theo Hernandez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the squad after spending recent weeks on the sidelines, but lacking match fitness, they only made the bench. Brahim Diaz – one of the brightest sparks in Milan’s fledgling campaign – continued to be absent from the squad, as did forward Ante Rebic and starting goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Milan manager Stefano Pioli decided to start Olivier Giroud up top, a decision which paid dividends almost instantly as the Frenchman put his team in front in the 14th minute. The ex-Chelsea man arrived just in time at the back post to put the finishing touches on a Rade Krunic flick off a corner.
Portuguese attacker Rafael Leao was a livewire throughout the first half; he kept coming inside to collect the ball, dribble past his markers, and test his luck from distance – to no avail. Later in the half, Krunic won another header from a set-piece, only for the ball to fall on the wrong side of the post.
Ciprian Tatarusanu – standing in for the injured Maignan – was called to action in the second half, but he did well to deny Antonio Sanabria, and later, kept out an inadvertent flick from his teammate Tiemoue Bakayoko. Midfielder Dennis Praet, on loan at Torino from Leicester City, hit the crossbar with his deflected shot, in between.
The narrow win means that Milan have won six successive games in the league. The Rossoneri are also unbeaten domestically and have dropped points just once over the ten matchdays – a 1-1 draw against Juventus. They play Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma next.
