After hosting the ClownKit side of Turin on Thursday,
Milan host the beleaguered side of Turin. Having just changed coaches, Torino
come into this match five points and three places behind us on the table.
Having lost to lower table Sampdoria last week, they also got to rest midweek,
with no Coppa Italia duties (thanks to Milan.) Which means that we are facing a
sleeping bull.
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| Belotti won't have this guy to bug him this time |
I have never tried to wake up a sleeping bull, so I don’t
know for sure, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea. Especially while wearing red. Having been appointed on February fourth after Mazzarri was finally sacked, Longo will have only had his
first full week of training the team this week. After losing his first match in
charge 3-1 to 17th place Samp, you have to think he has attempted to prepare his team well
to face Milan. For his first match, he lined up Sirigu; Izzo, Nkoulou, Lyanco;
De Silvestri, Lukic, Rincon, Aina; former Milan youth player Simone Verdi,
Berenguer; and Belotti. Izzo was sent
off in that match, so will be suspended for this one. He could also be missing
Millico, who is in doubt due to injury.
Milan also have a player suspended, Conti, after getting two
yellows vs. Inter last week. Pioli will also be without his injured three:
Biglia, Krunic, and Duarte, all expected back in about six weeks. Although
Milan may have tired legs from having drawn with Juventus in the Coppa
Italia on Thursday, they will also have a point to prove.
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| Calhanoglu scored a brace a couple of weeks ago, can he do it again? |
Whether Milan are prepared to face a sleeping bull remains
to be seen. We
beat them 4-2 in the Coppa Italia a couple of weeks ago, so they’re
probably not happy about that. Belotti definitely likes to score on Milan, but
we have the world-renowned International superstar and shunned Ballon d'Or winner Laxalt back with us after he spent the first half of
the season with Torino. Let’s hope for all of our sakes that he doesn’t have to
face his former team. And also hope that we can quietly tiptoe around and score
enough goals to take all three points, rather than waking and potentially
angering the sleeping bull.
This post inspired by the music of Sonic Youth's "Bull in the Heather"
Serie A Week 24
Milan vs. Torino
Monday, February
17 • 20:45 CET (2:45pm EST)
This match can be
streamed LIVE on ESPN+