Olivier Giroud scored the lone goal in Milan’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Torino. The Rossoneri desperately needed a positive result, and Stefano Pioli’s tactical tinkering resulted in Milan’s second win of 2023. While Torino was the stronger team for much of the match, the hosts had several strong individual performances that were enough to earn all three points.
Ciprian Tatarusanu – 5.5
Tatarusanu was not called into action often, and he muffed one of two shots on target he faced, but a clean sheet is a clean sheet.
Malick Thiaw – 8
Facing an in-form Aleksei Miranchuk, Thiaw stepped up and put on a strong display on the backline. He won a handful of tackles and did well when covering for Simon Kjaer as the Dane pushed forward.
Simon Kjaer – 7
As the centre-most defender, Kjaer played a tactical role that was different from his usual covering position. Often, he defended between the lines, allowing Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu to anchor a back four, with the wing-backs dropping onto the line. This setup nullified the rotational play of Aleksei Miranchuk and Nikola Vlasic in Torino’s attacking midfield.
Pierre Kalulu – 6.5
In the first half, the centre-back gave away a pass in a terrible position, gifting Torino its best chance of the match. However, he played solidly otherwise, allowing Torino’s oncoming attackers little time or space.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
Finally, Theo returned to form from his left wing-back position. The defender made several quality runs down the flank and fired off a wonderful cross that found Giroud’s head to open scoring for the Rossoneri.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 8
Opposite of Hernandez, the Belgian played a phenomenal game on the defensive end. He won several tackles, including one well-timed slide challenge from behind in the box. His lack of contribution to the attack did not take away from his overall performance.
Rade Krunic – 6
This midfield spot is still a noticeable weakness for the Rossoneri, who desperately await the return of Ismael Bennacer. That said, Krunic was much better tonight, playing especially well on the defensive side of the ball.
Sandro Tonali – 5
Tonali was not on the ball enough to make an impact from his position in the double pivot.
Brahim Diaz – 5
Once again, the number ten flashed occasionally, playing one quality chip to release Hernandez free on goal. However, Diaz did not play consistently enough, and he lacked the physical presence to win challenges against Torino’s strong defenders.
Rafael Leao – 5
After not starting in Milan’s previous two Serie A matches, Leao finally took the pitch at kickoff. Unfortunately, it was not a memorable day for the winger, as he struggled to create any meaningful chances for his side.
Olivier Giroud – 8.5
When Giroud fails to receive the ball, he tends to disappear from matches. However, in the second half, Milan greatly increased its service to the target man, and he struck a wonderful headed ball into the net to open scoring.
Milan return to winning ways with a much-needed victory ?? pic.twitter.com/fdNRLPU9GB
— 433 (@433) February 10, 2023