AC Milan opened their 2016-17 Serie A campaign with a 3-2 victory against Torino at the San Siro on Saturday evening.
Despite numerous changes made to the squad, it did not stop the Rossoneri from powering to their first win of the new season, much to the delight of new coach Vincenzo Montella.
It was a match which saw the Milanese come face-to-face with former coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, aiming to prove their European dreams were concrete.
Indeed, it was Carlos Bacca whose hat-trick put Montella’s men in the driving seat, but Il Toro responded at every opportunity given.
However, the Colombian’s heroics were dampened by the sending off of Gabriel Paletta after two yellow cards were shown to the defender.
The reduction to 10 men gave Milan a cause for concern, but they managed to stave off the attacks of the visitors up until injury time, in which their efforts appeared to unravel.
A penalty was awarded to Torino after Daniele Baselli worked his way through the host backline and found himself under goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The subsequent spot-kick was taken by Andrea Belotti, but it was the 17-year-old Rossoneri goalkeeper who had the last laugh, as he sprung to his left to deny the Italian’s effort.
Bacca the shining light
There can be no denying the fantastic display by the 29-year-old on matchday one, with his hat-trick illustrating not only his abilities, but his desire to achieve success for the club.
Bacca was linked with a move to English Premier League side West Ham throughout the summer but decided to stay at the San Siro, expressing his desire to play in the European competition Milan are so synonymous with.
The star striker’s shots were all on target against the Torinesi, whom were tireless but helpless in their attempts to stop the Colombian from not only scoring, but from getting into excellent positions.
It is true that when compared to the likes of Napoli, Roma, Juventus and perhaps even Inter Milan, the Rossoneri do not have the strongest of squads, but there is something to be said about their somewhat underdog status – allowing them to work hard, quietly aiming to regain their former glory.
All is possible with Bacca as the front man, who last season registered 18 goals from 77 total shots.
The 29-year-old is happy in a squad under the guidance of Montella, whose tactics include maintaining the ball and playing with a defined purpose. He will be an important figure for Milan this season and fans are praising the footballing gods for allowing him to stay at the San Siro.
Donnarumma the whiz kid
It is the dream of many Italian youths to play in the Serie A after having grown up watching their favourite players compete at the highest of levels. For 17-year-old Donnarumma, this is very much a reality as he slowly becomes a household name with his efforts for the Rossoneri.
Comparisions with Italian veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon have already been made and are most likely to continue as his career progresses.
The youngster made his Milan debut at age 16 under former coach Mihajlovic, but was not extremely tested against Torino.
He did, however, make the stellar penalty save which created an atmosphere of absolute elation at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.
If his past performances are anything to go by, the footballing world can expect more from the Rossoneri custodian.
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