Preview: Torino vs. AC Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to bounce back from a painful cup exit, AC Milan will resume their Scudetto challenge on Monday, as they visit an ailing Torino side.

Milan's long unbeaten streak finally ended when Lazio knocked them out of the Coppa Italia, but their Serie A campaign is still surpassing most expectations.

Match preview

Meeting for the second time in five days, Milan and Lazio locked horns again on Thursday evening, vying for a place in the cup quarter-finals.

The Rossoneri had previously edged a tense league game at San Siro - winning 1-0 to claim top spot in Serie A - but the tables were then turned down in Rome.

Mattia Zaccagni's late strike split the sides at Stadio Olimpico, dumping last season's beaten finalists out of a competition they last won more than two decades ago.

Still, Milan are undefeated in 12 top-flight outings since a shock loss to Cremonese on the opening matchday, keeping seven clean sheets in the process.

Massimiliano Allegri's men last conceded a league goal in early November, and they certainly look like genuine contenders for the title.

Set to defend the Supercoppa Italiana later this month, the Rossoneri must first try to take maximum points from games against mid-table pair Sassuolo and Torino.

However, following a 2-1 away defeat in February, Milan have lost two of their last three meetings with Monday's hosts - having previously won six from eight.

Since suffering an awful 7-0 thrashing during the 2020-21 campaign, Torino have won all of their last three home games against Milan.

So, the Turin club could now post four straight wins over their Rossoneri rivals for the first time since 1949.

Both teams' recent results suggest a different outcome, however: the Granata are winless in five games after losing to Lecce last week.

Ultimately beaten 2-1 at Stadio Via del Mare, they narrowly failed to snatch a point after Che Adams had got them back into the contest, as Kristjan Asllani saw his tame stoppage-time penalty saved.

While still clear of the drop zone, Torino's current tally of 14 points represents their lowest return at this stage of a season for five years.

Of major concern for under-fire boss Marco Baroni, Toro also have the worst defence throughout Serie A, conceding an average of 1.77 goals per game - and they score at a modest rate down the other end.

Torino Serie A form:

W D D D L L

AC Milan Serie A form:

D D W D W W

AC Milan form (all competitions):

D W D W W L

Team News

Without European football on the schedule, Allegri named a strong starting XI for Milan's Coppa Italia loss to Lazio, albeit veteran schemer Luka Modric and top scorer Christian Pulisic were reduced to cameo roles.

Both should return to the Rossoneri's lineup on Monday, when French midfielder Youssouf Fofana will be missing with an adductor injury; either Samuele Ricci or Ruben Loftus-Cheek could fill in alongside Modric and Adrien Rabiot. Santiago Gimenez (ankle) and Zachary Athekame (calf) are also ruled out.

Since making his first league start on the seventh matchday, Rafael Leao has scored five Serie A goals from a new central role in attack: statistically, the Portuguese star is shooting more often but also completing fewer of his trademark dribbles.

While Leao and Pulisic will surely lead the visitors' attack, Torino have been missing their top striker, Giovanni Simeone.

In the latter's likely absence, Adams could partner Duvan Zapata, who has scored in both of his previous games for Toro against Milan.

Along with Simeone, Ardian Ismajli remains a doubt, but Ivan Ilic appears to have recovered from a knee problem and might be named on the bench.

Torino possible starting lineup:

Israel; Tameze, Maripan, Coco; Pedersen, Casadei, Asllani, Vlasic, Lazaro; Adams, Zapata

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Ricci, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao