Torino vs AC Milan: Abate's Challenge Begins

Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. Sunday night lights. A new Serie A season opens with a story that writes itself: Ignazio Abate, Milan legend, now in charge of Torino, staring down his former club on the opposite bench.

Kick-off is at 7:45pm BST, but the subplots have been building for weeks.

Abate’s Torino ready to bite

Abate walks into this campaign with credit already in the bank. Torino have momentum, belief, and a home record that quietly intimidates. Il Toro finished last season unbeaten in their final six league games at the Olimpico (four wins, two draws), and they’ve already started this one with a result that suits their new boss perfectly: tight, controlled, ruthless.

A 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Carrarese, settled by Giovanni Simeone, set the tone. The Argentine is nailed on to spearhead the attack again, a classic number nine with a knack for decisive moments. Abate will want him harrying, bullying, and finishing against a Milan defence still adjusting to a new system and new faces.

Torino are not at full strength. Faustino Anjorin and Pietro Pellegri are out, while Duván Zapata remains a long-term absentee. Even so, the squad looks balanced and hungry. New faces should add a different edge: Ajax loanee Kian Fitz-Jim brings energy and composure in midfield, while Swiss defender Eray Cömert is expected to slot into the back line and give Abate the aggression and timing he demands in duels.

This is not a side content to sit and admire Milan’s rebuild. Abate knows the weaknesses of his old club’s back line, knows the uncertainty that can creep in when a new manager tweaks the structure. Torino will look to press those gaps, drag Milan’s defenders wide, and use their home crowd to turn every 50-50 into a battle.

A solid core, a clear identity, and a coach with something to prove. For Torino, this is an opportunity to land an early punch on one of Serie A’s giants.

Amorim’s Milan: big ideas, big absences

On the other bench, Rúben Amorim starts his Milan reign with expectations sky-high and options slightly reduced.

The Rossoneri arrive with a mix of fireworks and warning signs. Their pre-season ended with a wild 4-2 win over Manchester United, a reminder of how dangerous this attack can be when it clicks. But that came on the back of a bruising 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, and the shadow of last season still lingers: seven defeats in their final 13 league games, a collapse that forced change and opened the door for Amorim.

He will not have his full arsenal in Turin. Star winger Rafael Leão misses out with a muscle strain. Santi Giménez is sidelined by an ankle problem. Two major attacking threats, gone before a ball is kicked in Serie A.

The focus shifts to the club’s marquee signing. Gonçalo Ramos, brought in for big money and bigger responsibility, is fit and expected to lead the line. He will be the reference point, the finisher, the man Milan look to when the game tightens and chances thin out.

Behind him, the Amorim blueprint takes shape. Mario Gila, another summer arrival, is ready to make his competitive debut in a three-man defence, likely alongside Strahinja Pavlović. It’s a back line built to step up, compress space, and allow the wing-backs to fly.

On the right, Samuel Chukwueze is set for a key role. Used as a dynamic right wing-back in pre-season, he offers raw pace and direct running from deep, turning defence into attack in a heartbeat. If Torino leave space behind their wing-backs, Chukwueze will be the one racing into it.

At the heart of it all, Luka Modrić. The veteran midfielder has been brought in to orchestrate, to calm, to dictate. His presence in the centre should give Milan a passing rhythm they often lacked in last season’s chaotic run-in. Alongside him, the power and legs of Adrien Rabiot and the vertical thrust of Ruben Loftus-Cheek promise a midfield that can both fight and create.

Amorim’s first league game is not just about three points. It’s about sending a message that Milan’s stumbles are over.

Form, fear, and fine margins

Torino’s form at home cannot be ignored. Six unbeaten to close the last campaign, a clean sheet and a cup win to open this one. The Olimpico has become a difficult place to visit, and Abate will lean heavily on that record to unsettle a Milan side still searching for fluency.

Milan, by contrast, are chasing stability. The attacking highs of that 4-2 against Manchester United show what they can do when the pieces fit. The 3-0 defeat to Chelsea underlines how quickly it can all fall apart if the structure cracks. With a new system, new leaders, and key absentees, this is a delicate first step.

The margins feel thin. One mistake at the back. One moment of Modrić magic. One Simeone header.

Predicted lineups

• Torino (3-4-2-1): Mascardi; Comuzzo, Cömert, Coco; Pedersen, Fitz-Jim, Gineitis, Cacciamani; Vlašić, Casadei; Simeone
• AC Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; De Winter, Gila, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Modrić, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek, Saelemaekers; Ramos

How to watch

For viewers in the UK, Torino vs AC Milan will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and is also available via the DAZN streaming platform.

A club legend in the home dugout. A new visionary in the away technical area. One side defending a fortress, the other desperate to announce a new era. On a hot August night in Turin, which project lands its first real blow?