Serie A | Milan 1-0 Torino: Giroud does enough
An early Olivier Giroud tap-in proved enough for Milan to get the three points, although Torino clipped the crossbar with Dennis Praet.
The Rossoneri went into this midweek round as joint leaders with Napoli after eight wins and a draw. Franck Kessie returned after flu symptoms and Theo Hernandez was back on the bench after COVID, but Fode Ballo-Toure was added to the absentee list with Brahim Diaz, Samu Castillejo, Mike Maignan, Alessandro Florenzi, Ante Rebic and Alessandro Plizzari. Toro missed Cristian Ansaldi, Rolando Mandragora, Simone Verdi and Marko Pjaca, but Andrea Belotti got his first start in almost two months.
Despite an aggressive Torino start, Milan took the lead with their first real opportunity. Sandro Tonali’s corner was knocked on by Rade Krunic for Olivier Giroud to tap in at the back post from a couple of yards.
They almost repeated it on the stroke of half-time, this time Krunic’s header on a Tonali free kick skimming the far post.
Tommaso Pobega was facing his parent club and turned a free header over from a corner, while Belotti mis-kicked a Karol Linetty assist.
Ciprian Tatarusanu had to make a tough save on Antonio Sanabria, whose strike was so powerful that it squirmed away from the goalkeeper, needing Fikayo Tomori to clear almost off the line.
The Granata got closer as time wore on and Dennis Praet saw deflected effort hit Tomori and bounce off the top of the crossbar with Tatarusanu beaten. There was panic in stoppages with a corner flicked on by goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic for Sanabria, who couldn’t readjust to tap in from six yards.
Milan 1-0 Torino
Giroud 14 (M)
