It was a strange evening for AC Milan in their opening game of the 2024–25 season against Torino, as an eerie silence turned into a loud roar thanks to a late comeback brought about by two substitutes.
This morning’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews) states that there was a risk of starting the new season on the wrong foot, as Torino deservedly led for 60 minutes and even went 2-0 up when Duvan Zapata headed in from close range.
However, it was the substitutions that brought Milan to life, with Theo Hernandez and Alvaro Morata in particular taking control of the game and Noah Okafor’s stoppage-time volley completing a comeback that not many had expected.
The match against Turin gave rise to some considerations that should not be overlooked, such as the fact that the same problems appeared in the defensive phase. The newspaper comments that Ismael Bennacer and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will not be enough to protect the defense if Fonseca’s idea is to use Christian Pulisic as an attacking midfielder and Samuel Chukwueze on the right.
It is true that Youssouf Fofana will soon start in the double six, while Strahinja Pavlovic and Emerson Royal could soon join, but there are doubts as to whether the new additions will be enough, especially if the formation stays the same and the four strikers – once they lose the ball – almost never run back.
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One gets the impression that this Milan has not yet completely moved on from the past, for better or for worse. On the one hand, the old defensive flaws still exist, but on the other hand, there is what often helped them win last season: character.
Despite a performance well below expectations, Fonseca’s Milan showed a strong response and came back in a game that seemed lost until the 85th minute. Morata and Okafor Goal from the bench also brings satisfaction, and the starting eleven for Saturday’s game against Parma could look different.
