Torino vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
AC Milan held on for a 1-1 draw to claim a valuable point away to Torino and ensure their streak of consecutive defeats didn't stretch to three games.
The first half was a timid affair with little action at either end. Indeed, per OptaPaolo the number of shots in that first half—four—was a league low for this Serie A season so far.
An early second-half strike from Carlos Bacca livened up affairs and gave Milan a lead they ultimately failed to maintain, but the result was still a positive for the Rossoneri given their terrible recent form, which had culminated in an embarrassing 4-0 home defeat to Napoli prior to the international break.
Daniele Baselli equalised for Torino as the home side turned up the heat in the final quarter of the game, but Milan held on to give themselves a much-needed boost in difficult times.
Winner: Andrea Bertolacci
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Andrea Bertolacci's influence has been questioned since his big-money move to Milan from Genoa over the summer. But against Torino, he showed exactly what he's worth.
He played an important role in Milan getting a point from the game, teeing up Carlos Bacca for the opening goal and making more tackles than any of his team-mates, per WhoScored.com.
WhoScored also awarded Bertolacci its official man of the match award, a testament to what was by far his best display in a Milan shirt.
Loser: Luiz Adriano
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Luiz Adriano was given a vote of confidence by Sinisa Mihajlovic as he was selected ahead of Carlos Bacca to start up front against Torino. However, before the hour mark he was substituted after an absent performance.
In fairness, Milan's tactics didn't really suit the lithe Brazilian. As the lone striker in a front three, he was given little support and often fed by vertical, aerial balls.
Isolated and outnumbered, Adriano failed to impact the game at all before being hooked for Bacca. Per WhoScored he attempted no shots, completed no dribbles and made no key passes to earn a poor 6.00 rating.
Mihajlovic changed things up by introducing a 4-3-3 formation against Torino and, if he persists with the system, Adriano may find it difficult to obtain a place in the lineup ahead of Bacca and Mario Balotelli.
Winner: Daniele Baselli
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Daniele Baselli warned Milan with a drive from range before finishing well with his left foot from an Andrea Belotti layoff to equalise and essentially secure a point for Torino.
That was the crowning moment in what was another impressive performance for the 23-year-old Italian. Since joining Torino he has become an integral part of their three-man central midfield and he worked diligently against Milan.
Per WhoScored he completed more dribbles than any other Granata player and also made one key pass. His contribution was highlighted by Italian football writer David Swan, who tweeted his belief that Baselli has been the best Italian midfielder in Serie A this season.
Loser: Afriyie Acquah
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Afriyie Acquah had an evening to forget for Torino, as he put in an intense but ultimately inefficient performance against Milan.
The Ghanaian international drove forward with purpose in transitions to attack and often found himself in dangerous situations, but his failure to capitalise was frustrating to watch.
Attacking space, he tended to drift out to the right and search for crossing angles, but most of his balls into the box ended up nowhere near team-mates. His disappointing end product may well have been the difference between one point and three for Torino.
Winner: Sinisa Mihajlovic
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A 1-1 draw with Torino may not feel like much for a Milan coach but, in these circumstances, it represented a small victory for Sinisa Mihajlovic.
The Serb has been under pressure after losing four of his first seven league games in charge, with Milan honorary president Silvio Berlusconi even going so far as to publicly question his tactical acumen, according to La Stampa (h/t Football Italia).
Mihajlovic did see flaws in his team's performance after taking the lead, telling Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia): "We had a good game, but after the goal we just stopped playing. It's as if we got nervous at taking the lead."
Nonetheless, Torino had won every single one of their home league games going into today's game and so Mihajlovic can take heart from a hard-earned point, especially given the criticisms leveled at him from above.
Loser: Alex
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Drafted in at centre-back alongside Alessio Romagnoli, Alex had a difficult time up against Maxi Lopez. The Brazilian looked slow and unwieldy in the early going and never looked totally comfortable.
He never quite got to grips with his Argentine opponent after being turned in glaringly easy fashion in the opening minutes of the game. Following that, Alex failed to complete one single tackle in the entire match, per WhoScored.
It was not a performance to warrant further selection in the starting lineup, even if his main competitor for the right-sided centre-back berth—Cristian Zapata—is off form.
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