Ruben Amorim began his Serie A tenure as AC Milan head coach with a winning start on Sunday as the Rossoneri secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory away to Torino at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
The Portuguese coach, who previously managed Manchester United, saw his new side dominate large portions of the encounter before two quick-fire second-half goals from Alphadjo Cissè and Adrien Rabiot put Milan in control. Torino produced a late scare through Che Adams, but Amorim’s men held on to claim all three points on the opening weekend.
The victory also offered an encouraging early glimpse of Amorim’s ideas, with Milan controlling possession, moving the ball confidently and creating the majority of the game’s significant opportunities.
Milan Start Brightly in Turin
Milan immediately looked dangerous after kick-off, with Cissè coming close inside the opening two minutes.
The 19-year-old attacker received a dangerous delivery and fired into the side-netting from a tight angle. Samuel Chukwueze then produced one of the visitors’ most eye-catching moments of the opening period, cutting inside from the right before forcing Torino goalkeeper Diego Mascardi into a save.
Chukwueze remained heavily involved as Milan attempted to stretch Torino’s defence from the flanks.
The hosts, however, were not simply spectators. Torino threatened through Giovanni Simeone, although the striker was unable to connect properly with a dangerous ball inside the six-yard box.
Milan continued to dictate the tempo, and Loftus-Cheek saw an effort blocked in the 22nd minute before Chukwueze again tested Mascardi after an impressive individual run.
Despite Milan’s superiority, the first half ended goalless.
Torino Survive Milan Pressure
The second half initially followed a similar pattern.
Milan continued to circulate possession while Torino defended deep and looked for opportunities on the counter. Loftus-Cheek headed wide shortly after the restart, while Torino missed a promising opportunity in the 53rd minute when Simeone failed to make contact with a knockdown inside the penalty area.
Amorim then turned to his bench.
Luka Modric and Rabiot were introduced in the 56th minute, with the changes eventually proving decisive.
The French midfielder, in particular, transformed the contest.
Cissè Breaks the Deadlock
Milan finally found the breakthrough in the 64th minute.
Rabiot, operating in a more advanced position, delivered an excellent ball into the area for Cissè. The teenager controlled the delivery before striking on the bounce with his right foot, sending the ball into the far bottom corner.
It was a landmark moment for Cissè, who scored his first Serie A goal on his competitive start for Milan.
The goal also rewarded Milan’s sustained pressure and gave Amorim’s side the lead they had been chasing for more than an hour.
Rabiot Doubles Milan’s Lead
Milan needed only two minutes to strike again.
In the 66th minute, Chukwueze delivered a dangerous left-footed cross towards the far post. Rabiot had timed his run perfectly and arrived to meet the ball, finishing with a composed left-footed side-foot effort.
The goal completed a remarkable cameo from Rabiot, who had only entered the match 10 minutes earlier.
The Frenchman therefore finished the decisive sequence with one assist and one goal, while Chukwueze also earned recognition for his excellent delivery.
Torino Fight Back Late
Two goals in quick succession appeared to have settled the contest, but Torino refused to surrender.
Alieu Njie came desperately close to reducing the deficit in the 74th minute when he cut inside before smashing an effort against the post.
Pietro Comuzzo then volleyed wide after a clever pass from Kian Fitz-Jim, while Zakaria Aboukhlal somehow missed from close range after Torino created another dangerous opportunity.
Milan were beginning to feel the pressure.
Che Adams Produces Stunning Late Finish
Torino finally found their reward in the third minute of stoppage time.
Che Adams produced a spectacular acrobatic finish, hooking a free-kick delivery over his head and sending the ball looping beyond Mike Maignan and into the far top corner.
The goal gave Torino hope of completing an unlikely comeback, but Milan remained composed during the final moments and secured the victory.
Amorim’s Milan Show Early Promise
The final statistics underlined Milan’s control. The Rossoneri enjoyed 59 per cent possession, registered 19 shots compared with Torino’s eight and completed more than 90 per cent of their passes according to the club’s match report.
For Amorim, the most important outcome was the three points.
His first competitive match in charge of Milan ended with a victory, while his tactical adjustments also paid immediate dividends. Rabiot’s introduction changed the game, Cissè announced himself with a debut Serie A goal and Chukwueze provided the assist for the second strike.
There are still areas for improvement, particularly in building play from the back, but Milan have given their new manager an ideal platform from which to begin his Serie A project.
After beating Torino 2-1, Amorim and Milan can now look ahead with confidence to their first home league fixture, against newly promoted Venezia on August 28.
