How AC Milan Can Use Fernando Torres Successfully Against Empoli

Fernando Torres made his entrance late in the second half against Juventus in a match where Milan was already losing 1-0 and was being pressed in their own half far too easily.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

It was hardly the best scenario for the striker, affectionately known as El Nino, to start his career with the Rossoneri and try to regain some of the form that made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe during his time at Liverpool.

Torres hardly had any service and only picked up a few fouls, but his chance to truly shine could come on Tuesday when Milan travel to Empoli to take on the newly-promoted side.

Even though Empoli made it hard on Roma when they traveled to the Carlo Castellani stadium, expect Milan to hold on to much of the possession and give Fernando Torres plenty of chances to shine.

Torres will go up against two very young and inexperienced central defenders in Daniele Rugani and Federico Barba, in a team that has conceded five goals and picked up only one point in their first three Serie A outings.

On the Italian Sunday night show La Domenica Sportiva on RAI, Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi hinted at a possible 4-4-2 formation that would allow both Fernando Torres and Jeremy Menez to lead the line, with Giacomo Bonaventura and Stephan El Shaarawy as side midfielders.

This highly offensive approach could really allow Fernando Torres to have success and open his account in Serie A against Empoli's modest defensive unit. 

With this new formation, El Shaarawy and Bonaventura would make constant runs down the flanks and would have constant support from the overlapping full-backs, ideally providing a steady stream of crosses for Fernando Torres to operate on.

Jeremy Menez could also drift back into the midfield to receive the ball and go on one of his signature mazy runs, picking out Torres if needed with a well timed through ball into a dangerous area.

The one time Torres was able to get the ball in space against Juventus, he made a run right at the defense and was eventually dispossessed. This type of confidence to attack the back line is exactly the sort of mentality Torres must have to terrorize Empoli on Tuesday.

Against a weaker defensive unit, the Spaniard could find plenty of success attacking the channels with the ball at his feet and trying to curl one into the top corner with his favored right foot. 

Milan will need Torres to score in the double digits if they want a top three place in Serie A and a spot back in the Champions League. Having a big striker in the middle who draws plenty of attention from the defense would also allow plenty of space to the likes of Menez and El Shaarawy to take a stab at goal.

In the end, there's a good chance that Torres will score in his first start for Milan against Empoli and hopefully build the confidence that will allow him to roll back the years and become a dangerous player on a competitive team.