Morata-Okafor save Milan with Torino. Fonseca: “I want a more aggressive team. We have to…”

Milan, Fonseca: “I want a more aggressive team, we have to work hard”

“I didn’t expect a perfect game at this time of year, but in the first half we were too passive and lacked intensity. In the second half we were more aggressive. recovering the ball further forward, creating opportunities for ourselves to win the match. We have to work because we have a lot to improve on”, Paulo Fonseca’s words after the equaliser recovered in the 95th minute – thanks to Okafor’s goal – by his Milan against Torino in the first match of the championship.

The Rossoneri team reached 2-2 in the final minutes after being two goals down, with some players who came on in the second half being decisive: “We have a week to work and improve the condition of Hernandez, Morata and the others. When they came on they did well, but we need to get them back in good physical shape as soon as possible.” The Rossoneri played along the lines of last season with an evident lack of balance: “The problem is collective, not just the defenders. In the first half we were not able to press further forward, forcing the Granata to stay further back. I repeat, we still have a lot to improve but everyone, I want a more aggressive team than what I saw today in the first half” Fonseca underlined to Sky.

Rafael Leao was the protagonist of some dangerous plays in defense, but he made mistakes in the goal area: “It’s not a technical issue, he has to be more active and clinical. Rafael worked very well defensively today, but he definitely has to stay closer to the goal and be more concrete.”

Milan, Morata: “We need a change in mentality. We need to work hard, work hard, commit more fouls, become a tougher team”

What emotions did you experience? “Penalty taken away, offside, goal, yellow card: they all happened to me. We took at least one point, we have to put this courage and this strength from the first minute – Alvaro Morata’s words to Dazn at the end of Milan-Torino – Physically? No, we need to take a step further mentally. We need to work hard, work, commit more fouls, become a tougher team. Starting tomorrow, we will all do it together.”

“It’s not a great debut because we drew. But we sent a message, a team that was practically dead recovered and if it had lasted five minutes more we would have won.– explains the AC Milan striker to Sky – We need a change of mentality. Every Serie A game will be tough, every Champions League game will be tough, the Coppa Italia will be tough. We are Milan and we have to pedal. It’s beautiful to play at San Siro with this shirt, I hoped I could win. I can’t promise goals or titles, but I will give everything for the shirt, yes”.

Milan, Okafor: “We know we can do better and raise the level”

“We wanted to win, we take home this point and continue to work hard and think about the next one”, Noah Okafor’s words to Dazn after the 2-2 draw between Milan and Torino. His goal in the 95th minute was decisive. A goal scored under the Curva Sud: “It’s always nice to score at home, under the fans. We know we can do better and raise the level.”

Morata-Okafor save Milan with Torino

A goal by Okafor in the 95th minute saved Milan from defeat in the early evening match of the first day of Serie A against Torino. The Granata went ahead by two goals thanks to Thiaw’s own goal that opened the scoring in the 30th minute and Zapata’s header in the 68th minute. The Rossoneri deserve credit for not giving up and reopened the match with Morata, who scored in the 89th minute on his debut for Milan, and found the equaliser with the Swiss striker, who scored with a volley assisted by Musah.

Milan-Torino 2-2, Morata and Okafor come back from behind against Vanoli’s Toro

The home team starts with their foot firmly on the accelerator and in the 6th minute Leao tries with his left foot: shot deflected into a corner. On the corner Thiaw comes forward and the Granata defense saves just before the goal line, on the rebound Leao tries to coordinate from a few steps away but is precariously balanced and the conclusion ends up high. In the quarter of an hour the new Torino captain Zapata tries with a strong right-footer from the edge, off to the left and aiming for Maignan’s near post: the ball is not far wide. In the 18th minute Leao receives the ball on the left, takes on the man and then serves the central cut to Pulisic who shoots from inside the area. Nice save by Milinkovic-Savic, but then the flag goes up for Leao’s offside at the start of the action.

After half an hour, Torino took the lead. Zapata advances on the left and crosses towards the right of the area where Bellanova is. The ball is headed, hits the post and then Thiaw makes a disaster by sending the ball over the goal line. In the 37th minute the Granata come very close to doubling their lead: great header in the area by Zapata on a corner from the left: only a super reflex by Maignan with his foot denies him the goal. In the 41st minute a great opportunity for Leao who alone in front of Milinkovic-Savic has his shot saved. In the 45th minute Bellanova breaks through on the right and serves Ilic on the edge of the area, also freed by a nice dummy by Zapata: first-time right-footer from a central position and Maignan again decisive in the save.

At the start of the second half, in the 3rd minute, an opportunity for Milan. Wrong back pass from Toro with Pulisic who recovers the ball and flies towards the goal, jumping Milinkovic-Savic, but moving far to the right. The American tries to shoot, but with a very narrow angle of goal and hits the outside of the net. In the quarter of an hour, triple substitution for Fonseca: Morata, Theo Hernandez and Reijnders enter in place of Jovic, Chukwueze and Bennacer. In Toro Che Adams for Sanabria. In the 19th minute, Leao serves Morata on the left of the area: the Spaniard moves out wide and is brought down by Coco, who hits both the ball and the leg. Maresca awards a penalty but then, after the review on the monitor, changes his mind.

The 23rd minute saw the Granata double their lead. Ilic and Lazaro combine well on the left, then the former Inter player crosses from the bottom for Zapata’s header, left completely alone in the middle of the area. In the 27th minute Pulisic tames a cross from the left in the area and shoots from a central position, but sends it high. In the 36th minute a powerful shot from Reijnders from the edge: Milinkovic-Savic saves and Morata hits the rebound, but in a clear offside position. The goal date for the former Juve player is postponed by a few minutes.

In the 44th minute, another shot from Reijnders from the edge: Morata deflects it and beats Milinkovic-Savic. In the recovery, the hosts’ forcing is rewarded in the 95th minute: a cross from the right by Musah, in the middle Okafor arrives and strikes on the fly and beats Milinkovic-Savic for the final 2-2.

Milan-Torino 2-2: the match scoresheet

Markers: 30′ auto. Thiaw, 68′ Zapata, 89′ Morata, 90+5 Okafor.

MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria (Okafor from 83′), Tomori, Thiaw, Saelemaekers, Bennacer (Reijnders from 59′), Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze (from 59′ Theo Hernandez), Pulisic (from 73′ Musah), Leao; Jovic (from 59′ Morata);. Available: Raveyre, Torriani, Pavlovic, Terracciano, Gabbia. Coach Paulo Fonseca.

TURIN (3-5-2): Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Coco, Masina; Bellanova (from 87′ Dembele), Linetty, Ricci, Ilic (from 71′ Tameze), Lazaro (from 87′ Sazonov); Zapata (from 71′ Karamoh), Sanabria (from 60′ Adams). Subs: Paleari, Donnarumma, Dellavalle, Horvath, Ciammaglichella, Bianay, Njie. Coach Paolo Vanoli.

Referee: Maresca of Naples.

Ammonites: 45’+2 Vojvoda, 45’+3 Ricci, 57′ Jovic, 88′ Tameze, 88′ Morata, 90’+6 Dembele.

Recovery: 4′ 1H, 8′ 2H.