AC Milan started the home season with a furious and well-deserved 4:1 victory over FC Torino. New summer signing Pulisic opened the scoring for the Rossoneri.
Milan have made a flawless start to the new season: The Rossoneri followed up their 2-0 opening win at FC Bologna with a 4-1 home victory over Torino on Saturday evening. The game started badly for the visitors, who had to replace goal-scorer Sanabria with an injury after just 22 minutes. After half an hour, the task of gaining a point in Milan became even more difficult, because Loftus-Cheek marched dynamically into the penalty area and served his former (at Chelsea) and new team-mate Pulisic perfectly. Pulisic did not miss the chance and made it 1:0 with a left-footed shot (33.).
It was a very special goal for Pulisic: since the introduction of the three-point rule in the 1994/95 season, a player had scored in his first two Serie A games for Milan only four times. Only Andriy Shevchenko, Mario Balotelli, Jeremy Menez and Oliver Bierhoff have achieved this feat.
It only took three minutes after the opening goal before the San Siro fell silent for a moment: With a necessary portion of luck, the advanced Torino centre-back Schuurs overcame the surprised AC keeper Maignan (36.). The Rossoneri did not want to let that go and sent one attacking wave after the other towards the opponent’s goal. They were rewarded in minute 43 when referee Maurizio Mariani, watching the video footage, awarded them a handball penalty, which Giroud converted into the top right corner. Before the break, Theo – Rafael Leao had served his captain perfectly – increased the lead to 3:1 with a cheeky lob with the outside of the foot (45.+2).
Second video evidence, second confident Giroud penalty
It took Milan about ten minutes after the break to get dangerously close again: Loftus-Cheek failed with his tunnel attempt against keeper Milinkovic-Savic (56.). A little later Mariani – again after video evidence – decided on a penalty for the second time, which Giroud did not miss (65.). Schuurs had caught Rafael Leao more violently on the foot, the Portuguese was subsequently also substituted.
Besides Okafor, the other newcomers Samu Chukwueze and Musah (debut for Milan) also played. However, the trio could not really draw attention to themselves. The Rossoneri took it down a few gears and managed to hold on for a well-deserved 4:1 win.
The stakes will be much higher in the next two games: Next Friday (20.45) Stefano Pioli’s team plays host to Roma, who are under pressure and who also lost at Hellas Verona on Saturday. After the international break, Milan will face Inter Milan on 16 September – a rematch of the recent Champions League semi-final and the 2022 and 2021 champions. Torino host CFC Genoa on 3 September (18.30).
