Torino vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
AC Milan were lucky to escape Torino with a point. It was that bad. The Rossoneri simply played one of their worst matches of the season on Saturday.
The night started well enough for Milan. Jeremy Menez scored his ninth goal of the year, a penalty, after just two minutes.
But Torino owned Milan for the next 88 minutes. The hosts were just unable to make more of their many chances.
That's the only reason why the game finished at 1-1. Torino peppered Milan with 26 shots, and Filippo Inzaghi's team were only too happy to sit in their own half.
Milan showed no ambition. They showed no character. They had no confidence.
Defender Mattia De Sciglio was the worst of all. He made two silly tackles and was sent off before half-time.
The resulting red card was the sixth for Milan this season—the most in Serie A.
All of this leaves Milan with just two wins in their last 11 matches. There is no evidence of any progress at all under Inzaghi. Just weakness after weakness.
Here is a closer look at the winners and losers of this game.
Kamil Glik Redeems Himself
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Early in the game, Torino defender Kamil Glik hauled down Menez and conceded yet another penalty. It was the sixth penalty that he has given up over the past three seasons, according to Opta.
But then, on a corner late in the game, Glik rose up and headed in the equalizer. That's his fifth goal of the year, and remarkably this defender has the most goals on Torino.
"He scored them all on set plays," Torino coach Giampiero Ventura told Sky Sport Italia after the match, per Football Italia, "and could’ve had another today."
Mattia De Sciglio Hits New Low
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If De Sciglio's career is a stock, it is sinking fast.
The 22-year-old has not been a reliable choice at full-back, and once again he lacked composure.
It was fitting to see him duelling on the right flank with fellow Milan youth product Matteo Darmian, who left the Rossoneri and came to flower at Torino. Darmian, who is three years older, beat De Sciglio several times, and it was Darmian who drew the red card on the Milan player.
De Sciglio left the field as the worse of the two.
Since emerging in the Milan first team in 2012, De Sciglio has made the Italy squad and even courted interest from Real Madrid, per Marca. But the full-back continues to disappoint. He commits too many fouls, loses his man and has difficulty crossing the ball.
Milan Keep Relying on Diego Lopez
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In three of the past four Serie A matches, Diego Lopez has made four or more saves. He is almost always bailing out his teammates.
The 33-year-old did his best to keep the lead over Torino, but there is only so much he can do.
"Diego Lopez be like. #Milan pic.twitter.com/jD2nio5Dvx
— AC Milan Club NYC (@ACMilanNYC) January 10, 2015"
Lopez yells at his defenders a lot, and it's for a reason. Milan's defence is a mess.
Another Goal off a Corner Kick
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Set pieces kill Milan. It's been that way for years.
Of course, Torino scored off a corner kick.
"We held out as well as we could with 10 men, but once again conceded from a corner," Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia, via Football Italia. "We need to do something about that."
But nothing has been done. It's a habitual problem with this team. Milan allowed the header from Glik even after Inzaghi subbed on an aerial specialist like Alex.
There seems to be no answer.
Eight of the 21 goals scored against Milan have come from the corner, according to Opta. That's the highest ratio in Serie A.
