PRIMAVERA DEFEATED 1-0 BY TORINO

It ended in defeat in Biella for Coach Giunti's AC Milan Primavera: 1-0 to Torino was the final result, thanks to Di Marco's goal near the end of the first half. It was a first half in which the Rossoneri had created several opportunities to take the lead but had failed to take any. Then Torino struck with their first real attack, before setting about closing down the spaces for the rest of the game and trying to counter. A tactical strategy that AC Milan were unable to overcome, and proved too big an obstacle to tackle, especially in the second half after the sending off of Robotti in the 73rd minute. From that moment on, both the energy and any ideas to try to reverse the situation were lacking, despite the various changes made by Giunti in the last half hour of play. After the draw with Sassuolo, the first defeat of the league season has now come: It will now be essential to recuperate the energy and concentrate on Wednesday's Youth League opener against Liverpool. 

MATCH REPORT

The Rossoneri set up to provide a constant attacking threat in the first half. Despite several errors of judgement, there were many opportunities produced from the first few minutes. For example, in the 6th minute, Kerkez got away down the left, but his cross was too hard for Rossi, who couldn’t get a proper connection with the ball. Torino dropped deep in the centre and tried to strike from on the counter, threatening only with a right-footed shot from range by Garbett. AC Milan came close again after 13 minutes, as Capone entered the area alone but mishit his shot, while two minutes later Bosisio missed a chance from the penalty spot after good play by El Hilali to get around the goalkeeper. Another great chance came in the 26th minute, again with Capone who tried a half bicycle kick two feet from goal after a Bosisio cross, but the connection was lacking. Ten minutes later, the Rossoneri were stunned as the Granata took the lead: Great play by Di Marco, who beat Bosisio with a spin move before beating Pseftis with his left.

The second half opened with more Rossoneri attacks, the first opportunity again falling to Kerkez in the 50th minute, who was closed down after good combination play with Capone. With a quarter of an hour gone, Giunti made three changes, but in the 67th minute it was Pseftis who saved the Rossoneri from a second Granata goal: Stanga lost the ball to the newly introduced Akhalaia but the Greek goalkeeper denied him emphatically. And when it rains it pours, as in the 73rd minute Robotti was sent off for a second yellow card, leaving AC Milan with ten men. After the red card, Torino were more easily able to close the spaces and the Rossoneri's desperate attacks proved insufficient and the scoreline stayed as it was.

COACH GIUNTI'S POST-MATCH COMMENTS

"I liked our performance until Torino's goal, we did well and, as often happens, we were just lacking the goal. We didn't transform our chances and we paid dearly for their first counter-attack. They were able to score, and they continued playing their waiting game and defending the result, in the second half everything became complicated when were down to ten men. Despite that, we tried to turn things around, the boys tried until the end. We must push on, we don't even have time to absorb this match because we have our Youth League debut right away. Tomorrow we will resume work immediately. "

MATCH FACTS

TORINO 1-0 AC MILAN

TORINO (4-3-1-2): Milan; Pagani, Reali, Dellavalle, Angori; Di Marco (77' Maugeri), Savini, Lindkvist (53' Antolini); Garbett; Rosa (77' Caccavo), Baeten (66' Akhalaia). Unused subs.: Fiorenza, Vismara; Amadori, Barbieri, Chiarlone, Giorcelli, Gregori, Gyimah. Coach.: Coppitelli.

AC MILAN (4-3-3): Pseftis; Bosisio (60' Coubis), Stanga, Obaretin, Kerkez; Bright (60' Gala), Tolomello (75' Foglio), Robotti; El Hilali (60' Traorè), Rossi (84' Roback), Capone. Unused subs.: Deplanches, Nava; Alesi, Amore, Bozzolan, Polenghi. Coach.: Giunti.

Referee: Tremolada (Monza).
Goalscorer: 36' Di Marco (T).
Yellow Cards: 30' Pagani (T), 59' Robotti (M), 94' Caccavo (T).
Red Cards: 73' Robotti (M). 

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