Milan’s hopes of securing a top-four finish in Serie A suffered another setback as they fell to a 2-1 defeat away against Torino. In a game all Rossoneri fans would rather forget, their trip to Torino took a disastrous turn as Christian Pulisic missed the first penalty of his professional career—ending a perfect streak that stretched across both club and international matches.
Their woes were compounded by a comical own goal from Malick Thiaw, leaving Sergio Conceicao’s men trailing and desperate for a comeback. With their Champions League elimination still fresh in their minds, Milan needed a win to stay competitive in the race for a Champions League spot ahead of next season. Yet, their hopes began to unravel in the first half with an own goal that seemed ripped from a blooper reel.
Attempting to clear the ball outside his penalty box, goalkeeper Mike Maignan struck the ball directly into teammate Malick Thiaw, sending it ricocheting into the Rossoneri’s net. It was a cruel twist of fate for Thiaw, who had also scored an own goal in the teams’ previous 2-2 draw last August.
Milan’s opportunity to equalize came when Torino’s Tori Pedersen committed a blatant handball while trying to block a header from Rafael Leao—earning the visitors a penalty. Up stepped Pulisic, a player renowned for his composure from the spot. Prior to this match, the American winger had converted all 12 penalties he had taken in his professional career, nine of which in club action, including three for Milan (two in Serie A and one in the Italian Super Cup), and the remaining three or the US Men’s National Team.
However, Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, known for his penalty-saving prowess, guessed correctly and parried Pulisic’s strike—marking his fourth save of the season from the spot, out of a total of five.
What went wrong for Milan?
While the miss was a shock, credit must go to Milinkovic-Savic for his reflexes and anticipation. The Serbian keeper’s record speaks for itself, and even the most reliable penalty-takers can falter against a specialist of his caliber.
Pulisic, however, will undoubtedly feel the weight of the miss, especially given its significance in a match where Sergio Conceicao‘s players desperately needed points. The American has been one of Milan’s standout performers this season, but this setback will test his resilience as the game progresses.
The Red and Blacks’ pressure finally paid off in the 74th minute when Reijnders smashed a powerful shot into the top corner after Riccardo Sottil laid the ball off to him, leveling the score at 1-1.
Unfortunately, the visitors’ celebrations were short-lived. Just minutes later, Il Toro capitalized on a lapse in concentration. Sanabria took a free kick quickly, catching Milan’s defense off guard and releasing Gvidas Gineitis, who fired a low shot across goal and into the bottom corner, restoring his side’s lead.
With Bologna’s loss and Lazio’s draw earlier in the day, Milan had the perfect opportunity to gain ground in the Serie A standings. Yet, the combination of bizarre individual mistakes and Pulisic’s missed penalty now risks leaves the Rossoneri scrambling to keep pace in the race for Champions League qualification.
