Breaking Down Stephan El Shaarawy's Performance for AC Milan vs. Torino

The Pharaoh is back.

Stephan El Shaarawy scored twice against Torino on Sunday, his first start for AC Milan since January. The movement off the ball, the control, the precision—it was all there, all coming together for a player who fell apart over the last two years.

And it was a nice reminder of what Milan have. The Rossoneri have endured a horrible season, full of fan protests and listless performances, and yet here was a 22-year-old showing the club and the fans that they may just have some kind of future together. Through injury after injury, El Shaarawy never gave up and never seriously thought of leaving the club in the midst of crisis, his brother and agent Manuel told MilanNews (h/t Goal.com).

Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

He could have sat out the remainder of this season, too. He only recovered from his latest foot injury a couple of weeks ago. With only a few games left—none of them carrying much meaning—El Shaarawy had every excuse to shut it down and play it safe. He knows what it's like to aggravate an injury.

But there was always a craving to get back into the fray, to feel like a part of the group again. He did that with his first goals in front of a home crowd at San Siro since 2012.

"It's the light at the end of the tunnel, at least I hope so," El Shaarawy told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal.com) after the 3-0 win over Torino. "Aside from the goals, the positive thing is feeling well physically. For me, that was a great satisfaction. 

"I've worked with great desire in these months and I must now start again from here. It's not easy to be out for so long, but I always went forward on my own path and, in the end, hard work always pays off."

The first goal was proof that he has not lost his sense of touch and positioning. El Shaarawy found space in the middle of Torino's area and took down the ball with a single touch, then turned to shoot and score. It was a fluid motion, like he knew exactly where the net was. For someone who has missed a total of 52 league games over the past two seasons, that kind of awareness after so long is remarkable.

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Quality goal from El Shaarawy!! Milan 1-0 Torino pic.twitter.com/a3whVWtrvw

— Serie A News (@TransfersCalcio) May 24, 2015"

The second goal was an example of the off-the-ball movement El Shaarawy can offer. He played a little one-two with midfielder Marco van Ginkel, ran behind the defenders to receive the ball and cooly slipped it past Torino goalkeeper Daniele Padelli. That was more impressive than the first: a build-up play straight off the training ground, executed to perfection.

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Great goal El Shaarawy!! Milan 3-0 Torino pic.twitter.com/00nCapJGxj

— Serie A News (@TransfersCalcio) May 24, 2015"

The previous times El Shaarawy returned from an injury, there was little reaction. He was often a passenger in those games. But this time was different: Perhaps with a chip on his shoulder, after months of rumours about his future with the club, El Shaarawy had the look of a player with something to prove. 

He didn't do too much, he didn't seem to overthink anything. He just played the game as it happened. He found holes in the defence and exploited them. No cute stepovers or huge runs; just simple plays with an end product.

It's a shame that his season is starting just as the actual campaign is ending. He badly needs some consistency. But this is a start.