It is matchday 10 as the AC Milan team gets ready to face a good side managed by Ivan Juric: Torino.
The game is set to be played at the San Siro stadium. Stefano Pioli and his men are hopeful that they can achieve 3 points in order to continue their very good run of form so far in the Serie A.
In fact, the Rossoneri club is sitting first in the league table with Napoli, both have 25 points so far. Then comes Inter in the third position with 18 points. As for Torino, they are sitting in the 12th position with 11 points.
AC Milan team news:
The good news for Stefano Pioli is that he has recovered French star Theo Hernandez who was positive to Covid-19 in the last few days. The former Real Madrid man rejoined the rest of the team but it seems unlikely that he will be fit enough to start from the first minute. Fodé Ballo-Touré was to be entrusted with the left-back role once again. However, he has also been injured and was not called up to the squad list. According to Milanreports.com's knowledge, Davide Calabria is set to start on the left instead with Pierre kalulu on the right. Brahim Diaz, on the other hand, has been announced negative to coronavirus only today.
Torino squad news:
The Turin-based team has some important players who will be ready to take on the Rossoneri tonight, such as Andrea Belotti, Milan loanee Tommaso Pobega, and Josip Brekalo. However, there is one absence that can weigh heavily on the defensive department which is that of Cristian Ansaldi.
Who to watch out for...
For the AC Milan side, there are many key players who can make the difference such as Olivier Giroud who is excellent in the air and Rafael Leao who has improved really well with his crosses and decisions in the final third. But, Sandro Tonali will have to be very focused tonight in order to be able to give his best whenever needed in the midfield area. He will be fighting to recover balls and mark some key players tightly. A battle between him and the loanee Pobega would be surely interesting.
For coach Juric, one of the key players could be Antonio Sanabria. The striker of Torino is very good in front of the goal and if he does not play from the start, he will then be used as a secondary weapon from the bench. Fikayo Tomori will have to regain his best condition and focus in order to keep him away from the penalty box.
The expected game style for Torino should be to try and absorb AC Milan's high pressure and hit them with counter attacks thanks to the agility and pace of Josip Brekalo. In addition, corner kicks can be difficult as Juric has important players who can contribute well in the air such as the defenders: Koffi Djidji and Bremer as well as star striker Belotti.
Milan will press and try to hold the ball in Torino's half, waiting for a mistake or a sign of lack of concentration from Torino. Rafael Leao will be a very significant profile tonight, as usual because he will try to take the ball and drive it forward and keep attempting one on one situations which will surely create danger if applied correctly.
On the right flank, Alexis Saelemaekers is tipped to start the Serie A clash as he will look to redeem himself and prove himself worthy of the new contract he just signed. He will try to penetrate defences of Torino and look for open teammates. His defensive contribution is also very much appreciated and needed as he tracks back to put an end to numerical superiority created by opponents who attempt to launch counter-attacks.
Franck Kessié is definitely an important piece for Stefano Pioli. He can start against Torino tonight after returning from injury. Putting aside the controversy regarding a new contract, Milan management and fans expect a top performance each week as he must show his dominance in midfield and showcase his much needed physicality in midfield. In any case, Pioli also has important choices in the bench for the midfield as Ismael Bennacer, who returns from a great performance against Bologna, is ready to take over and provide help. Tiémoué Bakayoko would also be ready to help out his teammates in adding more intensity and physicality.
It will be a physical game but also a tactical battle between two intelligent coaches. The likely lineups are here. We start with the guests who are set to start like this:
(3-4-2-1): Milinkovic-Savic; Djidji, Bremer, Rodriguez; Singo, Lukic, Pobega, Aina; Linetty, Brekalo; Belotti.
As for Milan, below is our graphic for the probable formation after the recent injury of Fodé Ballo-Touré:
