Milan secured a crash and bang victory as a sole Luca Antonelli goal, coupled with a solid defensive display, was enough for the Rossoneri to come away with three points at the San Siro.
Three points and another win for Milan was enough to send the fans home happy on Saturday night as their side secured a 1-0 victory over Torino.
Milan, coming off a morale-boosting draw against Napoli, kept up their superb form with a win over a side that is in trouble. Left-back Antonelli’s goal was enough to be the difference between the two sides with Torino only troubling Milan’s defence with a few attacking flurries.
Antonelli best again as full-backs flourish
Antonelli’s case to be part of the 23-man squad that travel to France for the Euros has just been further pressed after another excellent performance; his form as of late has been among Milan’s best.
He and Giacomo Bonaventura’s combination down the left-hand side has caused issues for opponents all season, and Antonelli showed his instincts inside the six-yard box to slam home Milan’s opener and eventual match-winner.
Defensively he was a rock, allowing Ciro Immobile very little time and space in which to roam in the areas between the centre and full-backs.
As of late, Milan’s full-backs have been presenting cases to Sinisa Mihajlovic as to why they deserve to start. But Antonelli is a lock in the Milan back four and, as things stand, has a place on the plane to France.
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He has quite easily been the most frustrating player to pull on the Milan jersey this season – inconsistent in defence, causing regular heart palpitations among Milan fans. However, Zapata backed up his superb performance against Napoli with a brilliant display against Immobile and co., showing his much improved form.
Alessio Romagnoli, the man he has replaced due to the flu, may be forced to come up with a strong case to dislodge Zapata from defence, alongside Alex in light of his upturn in form. Zapata’s contract ends in May, so he must continue to play his socks off to earn a new deal. With performances like that against Torino, Milan CEO Adriano Galliani will have something to consider.
Torino’s struggles get even worse
Torino have only won four games from their last 20, with another mid-table finish looking on the cards. Giampiero Ventura has struggled as of late to get this side to click despite possessing a superb defensive unit and a striker with incredible ability.
Their form as of late has seen them fall to only nine points above the drop zone, but despite sitting 11th, the thought of being that close is unsettling. Torino have a huge clash with Lazio at home next week and a win would do them the world of good in turning their season around and consolidating their Serie A status.
Niang’s woes
Mbaye Niang has not had a bad season by any stretch. If anything, it has been a breakout season and a solid one.
He has established himself as Carlos Bacca’s forward partner and is scoring goals. However, his last few games have been poor and has shown signs of the player he was before this season. The Frenchman’s hold-up play was lacking and he squandered some golden chances in the first half.
The biggest disappointment to emerge from his performance came with 20 minutes to go amid an altercation with Emiliano Moretti. This was a real sign of frustration after pressing him into winning a throw-in inside Torino’s attacking half.
A minute later, he was benched for Kevin-Prince Boateng, a move that was no surprise. However, Niang must not take his starting spot for granted as returns to full fitness of Mario Balotelli, Jeremy Menez, Luiz Adriano and Boateng will keep Niang on his toes. A cup game against Alessandria will likely provide an opportunity for most of those names.
Bertolacci patience wearing thin
Andrea Bertolacci is not a bad player, but one must feel sorry for him. He is a player with ability but a €20 million price tag to live up to.
Since he has joined Milan he has shown glimpses of the player he can be and this match was his opportunity with Riccardo Montolivo suspended.
However, Bertolacci endured unsure, uneasy game marred by poor decisions in Milan’s attacking half that cost the team goalscoring opportunities. The performance he produced was not enough to put himself in a position to take one of Montolivo or Juraj Kucka’s starting positions, still with a lot of impressing to do with the Euros on the horizon.
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