Torino continues charge for European football with victory over AC Milan

Torino kept their UEFA Europa Conference League ambitions alive with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, where they have now suffered just one defeat in their last 11 encounters with the six-time European champions.

Despite a tumultuous week for Torino, as they continue their push for European qualification and aim for their highest Serie A finish in five years, manager Ivan Jurić announced he will leave the club at the end of the season due to “splits and division” within the club.

With Milan already secured in second place before kick-off and Torino having recently taken points from both Juventus and Bologna, there was optimism for Il Toro to secure a result against the Rossoneri, even amidst Jurić’s announcement.

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Playing in front of their home crowd, Torino dominated the first half. They nearly took the lead within 20 minutes when Adrien Tameze, found unmarked by Pietro Pellegri, skied his shot over the crossbar from 10 yards out. However, Torino did break the deadlock by the half-hour mark.

A precise cross from Ricardo Rodríguez found Duván Zapata, who headed the ball into the bottom corner.

Christian Pulisic missed a chance by nodding over the crossbar, and Torino doubled their lead with a similar play, this time from the opposite flank. Raoul Bellanova curled a ball into Ivan Ilić, who powered a header past Marco Sportiello. Questions arose about Fikayo Tomori’s decision to close down the already-marked Pellegri instead of the eventual goalscorer left unmarked in Milan’s penalty area.

Although Stefano Pioli had been fielding rotated XIs since Inter Milan secured the championship, there was little excuse for Milan’s passive first-half performance. It took less than 20 seconds after the interval for Torino to extend their lead further. Ricardo Rodríguez unleashed a powerful shot that found the back of the net via the post.

This goal seemed to energize Milan, who soon reduced the deficit from the penalty spot after Pulisic was wrestled down by Adam Masina. Ismaël Bennacer converted the penalty without error.

Surprisingly, Milan failed to build on this momentum and struggled to apply consistent pressure. Vanja Milinković-Savić had little to do apart from a save from Rafael Leão as Torino secured back-to-back victories.

Torino remains ninth but is just one point behind Fiorentina, the team they are chasing, having played one more game. Milan, meanwhile, have had the luxury to relax for a few weeks and will conclude their season against rock-bottom Salernitana next week.