Carlos Bacca Shows Icon Potential with Hat-Trick for AC Milan in Torino Win

When Carlos Bacca is on the pitch, defences are in trouble. Torino found this out the hard way on Sunday evening, as the Colombian fired a hat-trick past them to help AC Milan to a 3-2 victory at the San Siro.

The striker’s consummate individual performance reminded Italian football of the perils of giving him space and time.

The away side, led by former Rossoneri head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, started strongly, pressing man-to-man high up the pitch, forcing their hosts into playing more direct balls from the back.

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With Adem Ljajic and Josef Martinez covering Gabriel Paletta and Alessio Romagnoli, and Andrea Belotti cutting off the pass out to Riccardo Montolivo, Milan often had no choice but to go long—something that opposes the principles new boss Vincenzo Montella has sought to implement during his short time in charge thus far.

Torino also threatened, albeit briefly, in an attacking sense, though they were unable to create consistently in the first half. And when left-back Cristian Molinaro went to sleep and allowed Ignazio Abate to cross for Bacca in the penalty box on 38 minutes, there was no doubt where the ball was going to end up.

The 29-year-old planted a firm header beyond the reach of Daniele Padelli to give Milan a 1-0 lead, which they would protect until half-time.

However, the second half opened disastrously for the Rossoneri. Atoning for his earlier misstep, Molinaro picked out Belotti, who moved quickly to beat Romagnoli in the air and head home an equaliser just three minutes after the commencement of play.

Fortunately, thanks in large part to the presence of Bacca, parity didn’t last long.

On 50 minutes, he once again found space in the penalty area to finish a cross from M’Baye Niang, and 13 minutes later, he fired home a penalty after a slaloming run by Giacomo Bonaventura resulted in him being brought down.

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50' Carlos Bacca (replay) pic.twitter.com/FrD8NNbZkh

— MilanMania (@milan__mania) August 21, 2016"

A late fightback from Torino saw Daniele Baselli take advantage of tired Milan legs to draw one back, before Paletta pulled Belotti to the floor to concede a last-gasp penalty. This time, 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the star, saving his first spot-kick in Serie A.

Thus, a typically chaotic Rossoneri collapse was prevented by the hands of an exceptional shot-stopping prospect, but Bacca was the real star.

There was a genuine symbolism about his substitution and the frayed nerves that followed.

The striker, taken off to a warm ovation on 86 minutes, had the smile wiped off his face by his team-mates’ inability to see out what looked a relatively comfortable victory. His three goals had not been enough to safeguard Milan’s three points, and he was no longer able to influence proceedings.

The bizarre sequence of events and the speed with which they unfolded must have ensured that Montella heard one specific message loud and clear, even above the eruption of noise that followed Donnarumma’s match-winning save: Only substitute Bacca if he is unable to continue.

And, beyond simply keeping him on the pitch, Milan must make sure the striker is still their player when the summer transfer window shuts on August 31.

At the final whistle, Montella re-affirmed his satisfaction regarding the team performance and didn’t forget to mention his goalscorer’s showing, telling Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia):

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I am happy with the performance, we had 70 very good minutes. The squad was organised, commanding the play and creating four or five clear-cut opportunities in the first half.

The lads have a lot of belief and that can make the difference in the long run. We need to work on keeping our concentration for 90 minutes and this victory will help.

Bacca is a player of great temperament and strong moral judgment. He is a player accustomed to winning, so he mustn’t just score goals, but also help his teammates.

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The all-round play Montella wants from the finisher was evident at times in his combinations with Niang, who played on the left of a forward trident in the attacking phase. Early on, the pair dovetailed well, with Bacca providing a pull-back for his team-mate, who fired just over.

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And the striker worked hard in the defensive phase, too, dropping deeper when necessary to cover for team-mates who had drifted out of position.

Afterwards, Bacca placed emphasis on the importance of the collective in an interview with Premium Sport (h/t Italian Football Daily):

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It’s everybody’s triumph. I finished some plays but there was also Donnarumma and the entire team. Everybody worked hard, even the fans. Montella? You can already see his work in (our) play, we are keeping the ball well. We could have scored more in the first half and been more comfortable. Shortly we’ll be at 100 per cent and be familiar with everything Montella is teaching us.

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Yet, while some aspects of the team’s overall play—namely the movements of Niang and Suso in tandem with the forward forays of the full-backs—were positive, it would have counted for naught without Bacca’s trademark clinical finishing.

Per WhoScored.com, he had five shots in total against Torino. Four of them hit the target, and three of them went in. His 22 touches were the lowest among Milan’s starters, but he still managed to score a hat-trick and contribute one key pass.

Those figures evidence his unwavering precision, which has consistently been on show ever since he arrived at the club from Sevilla last summer. Indeed, according to Opta Paolo, Bacca “has scored his 20 Serie A goals with only 39 shots on target.”

His efficiency was crucial throughout his debut campaign with Milan, due mainly to an overarching lack of flair in the team brought about by Mihajlovic’s pragmatic tendencies.

Despite the shortage of opportunities presented to him, Bacca’s 18-goal return made him the league’s third-highest scorer behind only Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala. And it is reasonable to argue that he could improve on that this season.

With Montella at the helm, Milan are already playing a different style of football. The primary focus is on controlling the game via possession of the ball. Moves are built from the back, and there is greater rotation between players in the final third as a means of penetrating the opposition.

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In this system, with Niang, Suso and Bonaventura interchanging behind him, Bacca could thrive. His play on the shoulder of the last defender, cunning movement and pace could be utilised to the fullest extent.

Finally, he could establish himself as the icon he has threatened to become, dragging the club back towards the top of Italian football and onward into a new era.

And the player seems to understand and appreciate the possibilities himself.

He has been heavily linked to West Ham in recent months but has intimated that he is keen to continue plying his trade with the Rossoneri for the time being, telling Milan TV (h/t Sky Sports): "When I decided to leave Sevilla it was because I wanted to bring Milan back to the top and I won't leave until I've done that."

Ten days remain in this summer’s transfer window, a period that will be filled with fresh speculation over Bacca’s future.

The player has resolved to remain, so now the onus is on the club to make sure that happens by resisting bids. Doing so would mean keeping a Milan hero in the making.