Aiming to build on an opening-day win, AC Milan play host at San Siro on Saturday, when Torino are their first visitors of the new Serie A season.

While the Rossoneri eased to victory over Bologna in their first fixture of 2023-24, Toro were frustrated by promoted opponents and had to settle for a point.

Match preview

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Kicking off their quest to regain the Scudetto after last year's dismal title defence, Milan made a convincing start by beating Bologna at Stadio Dall'Ara on Monday.

Fourth-place finishers last term, Stefano Pioli's side lost club icon Paolo Maldini and midfield maestro Sandro Tonali during the summer, but the latter's departure to Newcastle United at least provided funds to re-shape a thin squad.

One of several arrivals at San Siro was Christian Pulisic, who emphatically put his new club two goals ahead in Bologna midway through the first half, after veteran striker Olivier Giroud had got off the mark early on.

Reports suggest a new centre-forward will soon take Milan's total of summer signings up to double figures, but 36-year-old Giroud remains first-choice for now, with support from the likes of Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Samuel Chukwueze.

A 2-0 victory on the opening day means that Pioli has won all four of his Serie A season openers with Milan to date, and the Rossoneri have now won each of their last four Serie A matches stretching back to the end of last season.

As they aim to extend that sequence in their first home fixture of 2023-24, Milan tackle a team they have recently dominated: although they did lose 2-1 in Turin last October, Pioli's men have won five of their last seven league matches against Torino and lost only one.

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While they equally split six points with Milan last term, Torino's most recent away win against them in Serie A came as far back as March 1985. In fact, Toro have lost 19 times and drawn on eight occasions since their last such success.

If they are to finally end their drought against the Rossoneri at San Siro, scoring a first league goal of the new season will be essential, as a side that were the lowest scorers in the top half of the table last term failed to find the net again on Monday.

Torino posted their second straight top-10 finish in June, but were unable to mount an assault on the European places due to a lack of input from anyone other than top scorer Antonio Sanabria, who fired a blank against Serie B playoff winners Cagliari in the Granata's Serie A opener.

With their 0-0 home draw against the Sardinian side, Ivan Juric's men at least continued an impressive defensive record from the back end of last season: they have now kept five clean sheets in their last nine league games - as many as in the previous 25.

Consummately organised by Juric, who steered his side past Feralpisalo in the Coppa Italia earlier this month, Torino arrive in Milan on a run of four straight away wins without conceding a single goal - the club's best such streak since 1935.

Team News

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Given his team's impressively controlled win over Bologna, Stefano Pioli could name a very similar XI to face Torino on Saturday night.

While Yunus Musah will now be available following suspension, Milan's midfield trio should remain the same, with Christian Pulisic joining Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud in the hosts' front three. Giroud has scored in each of his last four Serie A appearances - his best league streak since 2015, while at Arsenal.

Pioli will only be without long-term injury absentee Ismael Bennacer this weekend, so a strong bench is set to include summer signings Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze, both of whom should be involved as second-half substitutes.

Having mostly tied down successful loanees rather than recruiting fresh faces, Torino's team is little changed compared to last season, with ex-Milan man Ricardo Rodriguez captaining the side from defence and Antonio Sanabria leading the line up front.

In three league matches against the Rossoneri to date, Sanabria has yet to find the net, and the Paraguayan will aim to put that right with the support of Nikola Vlasic and either Yann Karamoh or Nemanja Radonjic.

Demba Seck is ruled out by a shoulder problem, but Koffi Djidji and David Zima recently recovered from injuries and are both contenders for selection in the visitors' back three.

AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao

Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Schuurs, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Bellanova, Ilic, Ricci, Vojvoda; Radonjic, Vlasic; Sanabria

We say: AC Milan 1-0 Torino

Generally tough to beat, Torino may fancy their chances of leaving San Siro with at least a point, but a lack of firepower is set to haunt them again. Should the visitors fail to score their first Serie A goal of the season, Milan's new-look attack can punish them - particularly as Stefano Pioli can now call upon some lively options from the bench.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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