It was necessary for AC Milan to get out of its bad spiral. A 100% French action with this goal from Olivier Giroud on a cross from Théo Hernandez, Friday evening, against Torino (1-0) at San Siro. The reigning Italian champion temporarily rises to third place, fifteen points behind leaders Naples, who will play Sunday against the red lantern, Cremonese, and two from Inter Milan (2nd), who travels to the field on Monday. of Sampdoria Genoa.
In line with their last performances, the Rossoneri played with the handbrake for 45 minutes, multiplying the technical errors like a slip by Simon Kjaer which could have offered a goal to the “Toro”. But they were able to finally let go after the break, in the wake of a hungry Giroud: after offering a goal ball missed by Rafael Leao (54th) then stumbled on the Turin goalkeeper (56th), the Blues striker found the fault of the head by perfectly taking over a cross from his compatriot Theo Hernandez (62nd).
Giroud’s raging celebration, with boxer punches, illustrated the deliverance of the Milanese, who put an end to a black series of seven games without a win, including four defeats in a row, in all competitions.
Zlatan back in the band
“Oli is a very important player technically and mentally, he is a leader of this team”, recalled his coach Stefano Pioli on DAZN, welcoming this goal which “mentally unblocked” his team. A victory also won without taking a goal, which had not happened to Milan in a league match since November 8 (0-0 against Cremonese).
Four days before receiving Tottenham in the knockout stages of the Champions League, the tifosi found a team with character and legs, like a perked up Theo Hernandez, who came close to 2-0 (76th).
Like Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic finally sees the end of the tunnel: he made his first appearance of the season in the squad of the season, more than eight months after his knee operation. Short of pace, the 41-year-old Swedish giant has not entered but confirms his role as a lucky charm that he has held since his return to the club in January 2020. “He is a player-coach, it is also thanks to him that we won,” said Theo Hernandez.
The match, like all those of the weekend in Italy, was preceded by a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the earthquake which struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, causing the death of 23,000 people.