AC Milan missed out on a huge chance last weekend when they could have further closed the gap to leaders Inter Milan, and they will get another opportunity against Torino this weekend. After their big victory over their local rivals in the weekend before last, they managed to curb the gap to seven points, and with the Nerazzurri dropping points last weekend, the Rossoneri could not capitalise.
The squandered chance came against Lazio, who have proved to be a bogey team for Milan this season, having also ousted them from the Coppa Italia earlier in the season. Since that loss, Massimiliano Allegri’s side had gone on an unbeaten run of 24 games; however, right now they have two defeats in their last four, while the loss to Lazio was also their first away from home all season.
In terms of their objectives, there might be a feeling that the title is truly out of their grasp unless Inter Milan capitulates moving forward. At the moment, one cannot even say a top-four place is guaranteed, given the fierce competition for places, but the Rossoneri are currently the favourites to finish there and even second.
Visitors Torino, managed by Roberto D’Aversa, will know of their terrible form when facing AC Milan at San Siro. The Turin side have not managed to win here against the Rossoneri since 1985, which equals 29 tries.
More importantly, Torino will think about their most recent meeting with Milan in the reverse fixture in Serie A this season. D’Aversa’s men were leading by a two-goal margin before the Rossoneri came back to win, and many are leaning towards another loss for the visitors heading into this one.
D’Aversa’s side have managed to stay sufficiently clear of the relegation zone, and they currently occupy 14th spot on the table. However, they must target a much higher finish, and Torino will be dreaming of causing an upset at the San Siro to boost their chances.
Massimiliano Allegri has a near-full squad at his disposal, as only Matteo Gabbia and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are missing through injury issues. There are doubts whether Allegri will use Santiago Gimenez, who has only recently returned after a four-month lay-off, but he does have plenty of other options in the attacking setup.
At 40, Luka Modric continues to defy the odds, as the Croatian playmaker has played the most minutes of any AC Milan outfield player this season and will continue to play a key role in the midfield, while Youssouf Fofana and Adrien Rabiot are also part of that setup.
Despite reports that Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic fell out last week, the pair are likely to be preferred up front over the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug when AC Milan host Torino at San Siro this weekend.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Maignan; Pavlovic, Tomori, De Winter; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao
Zanos Savva is out of contention for Torino, while there are considerable doubts about Zakaria Aboukhlal’s presence, with the winger suffering from two separate injuries that have seen him miss the last four games.
Yet, there will be a late assessment on his fitness, which will determine whether he can participate in some capacity. Roberto D’Aversa will set up in his usual way by fielding a back three of Enzo Ebosse, Ardian Ismajli and Saul Coco.
Valentino Lazaro and Rafa Obrador are the likely choices in the wing-back roles, while D’Aversa will use Matteo Prati, Nikola Vlasic, and Gvidas Gineitis in his midfield setup. Duvan Zapata, who was on target against Milan in the reverse fixture, will lead the line for Torino alongside Giovanni Simeone up front.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Paleari; Ebosse, Ismajli, Coco; Lazaro, Prati, Vlasic, Gineitis, Obrador; Zapata, Simeone
With the title hopes fading away, the big reason for AC Milan to stay relevant in the Serie A title race so far has been the presence of Modric. At 40, the Croatian veteran has played the most minutes of any Rossoneri outfielder this season, which in itself is commendable.
While AC Milan will still consider themselves in the title race until they are not, Modric will be key to their chances should a late opportunity arise to close down Inter Milan. The Croat will play a huge role this weekend as Milan hopes to triumph over Torino at San Siro.
Torino might have some momentum following recent results, but they are not a team under any sort of pressure, either to achieve a European spot or fight relegation. It will come down to which team wants it more, as AC Milan are the favourites to take three points.
AC Milan are under some pressure to get back into the title race and will be eager to fight until they are mathematically out of the equation. Either way, their quality trumps this Torino side, and Massimiliano Allegri’s players will be able to get the job done.
