Torino visit the San Siro this weekend to take on AC Milan, as both teams aim to begin their campaign with three precious points in order to get off to the best possible start. The Turin outfit are keen on having a good season and a victory would represent a great start against the Milanese giants.
Milan eye Europe
To achieve European qualification home games are key; Milan must turn the San Siro into the fortress it once was. Sketchy home form in the last few years has been just one of the club's problems, but a return to form in their own back yard would, somewhat, lighten the mood.
They managed just nine wins from their 19 home games last year, which fully shows how mch of a struggle things were last term; in comparison, third-placed AS Roma claimed victory in 13 of their 19 games at the Stadio Olympico. Vincenzo Montella will surely be targetting change in this area
A bright season for Torino
Giampiero Ventura left I granata after five years with the team. There will be a new approach this season with his successor Sinisia Mihajlovic, the former Milan man. The Turin-based club are aiming to build on Ventura's successes with the new manager at the helm, and a solid position inside the top half would represent just that.
Previous meetings
Since Torino were promoted in 2012-13, the teams have met on eight occasions. Torino have yet to win in that time against Milan, with the Rossoneri claiming four wins and the other four games ended level; the irony being that the last win for Milan was led by Mihajlovic himself in February 2016. This should spice up this clash as the first stop for new Torino manager is the last ground he was managing at. Perhaps an emotional return, but it is a chance to show Milan what they are missing.
Key players
Milan have not been too active in the transfer window so far, with just four players joining the club, but keeping the best player so far in the team is a positive. Carlos Bacca is the main man for the Rossoneri; last season he scored 18 goals in Serie A, the highest for the Milan club.
This campaign, the Colombian is expected to shine with Montella. Bacca is the type of finisher who needs service to shine. He is clinical in front of goal but with no through balls coming to him, he is a liability to the team; an issue that should be solved by Montella.
On the other hand, Torino were aiming to shore up the weak spots in their team. Acquiring a player like Adem Ljalic will boost the attacking side of the Granata, player they can count on in major games like this one.
The Serbian will be hoping to hit it off quickly with current leading man, Andrea Belotti. The 22-year-old forward had a massive season with Torino last term, scoring 12 goals and adding a further eight assists in what was a remarkably successful individual campaign.
Pre-Season preparations
As this will be the first match in the campaign, the basis of their performances will be on the pre-season matches played by both teams.
AC Milan travelled to the USA to play in the International Champions Cup, featuring in three matches against Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Chelsea. The Rossoneri beat Bayern on penalties after an entertaining 3-3 draw, but lost 2-0 and 3-1 in the latter two respectively. They did, however, secure wins over Bordeaux and SC Freiburg.
Torino played four friendly matches against SL Benfica, FC Ingolstadt 04, Hull City, and RB Leipzig, securing wins in three matches and a single draw against the latter.