AC Milan’s frustrating 2-1 defeat at Torino on Saturday has put a severe dent in their Serie A top-four aspirations. The match saw AC Milan suffer from an early own goal by Malick Thiaw and a penalty miss from Christian Pulisic, leaving the club with more questions than answers.
The Early Setback: The AC Milan squad couldn’t have asked for a worse start when goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s attempt to clear the ball resulted in an unfortunate own goal. The ball ricocheted off Thiaw and into the net after just five minutes, putting the visitors behind in a crucial match. From the beginning, AC Milan struggled to regain momentum after the early setback.
Pulisic’s Missed Penalty: AC Milan had the perfect opportunity to level the score just after the half-hour mark when Christian Pulisic stepped up to take a penalty after a handball from Torino. However, Torino’s goalkeeper, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, made a brilliant save, diving to the right to deny Pulisic’s shot, marking the first-ever penalty miss of the United States international’s career.
Impact on Serie A Standings: This defeat left AC Milan in seventh place with 41 points, falling behind fourth-placed Lazio by six points. With only a slim chance to fight for the top four, Milan will need to improve quickly to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League. Torino, on the other hand, earned a much-needed victory and sit 11th with 31 points.
AC Milan’s frustrating loss to Torino highlights the pressure they now face in Serie A. With an own goal and a missed penalty proving costly, AC Milan‘s path to the top four remains uncertain. Can they bounce back from this setback? Only time will tell.