Torino and AC Milan open the season in a direct clash of new projects
Torino and AC Milan enter the new season with changes on the benches, different ideas and a clear need to show from the very first round the direction they want to take. The match time has meanwhile been finalized: the current schedule confirms Torino - AC Milan on Sunday, 23 August at 20:45 at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
For the hosts, it will be the first league test under Ignazio Abate, who took charge of the first team at the beginning of July and signed a contract until the summer of 2028. Milan are also beginning a new era. Rúben Amorim arrived on the bench during the summer and is already trying in pre-season to introduce a recognizable system with three centre-backs, advanced wide players and more players between the opposition lines.
The opening round therefore brings more than just a battle for the first points. It also brings the first serious answer to the question of how well the two teams have already absorbed the demands of their new coaches.
Ticket sales for this match are underway. The interest is understandable because this is the first league appearance of the season for both teams and the first major test of their new projects.
Last season left both teams with reasons to make changes
Milan finished the previous league campaign with 70 points, in fifth place. Torino collected 45 points and finished 12th. The gap in the final standings was large, but their head-to-head meetings were considerably tighter than the table might suggest.
Milan won both league encounters 3-2. In Torino, the hosts took the lead through Nikola Vlašić and Duván Zapata, but Milan turned the game around with a goal from Adrien Rabiot and two strikes from Christian Pulisic. In the spring meeting at San Siro, Torino again posed a serious threat. Giovanni Simeone and Vlašić scored for the visitors, but Strahinja Pavlović, Rabiot and Youssouf Fofana gave Milan another 3-2 victory.
Those two matches are also important when looking ahead to the new campaign. They showed that Torino can cause Milan problems in transition and through more aggressive attacks towards the penalty area, but also that Milan have enough individual quality to change the rhythm of a match in a very short period.
- Torino - Milan 2-3 in the first league meeting between the teams last season
- Milan - Torino 3-2 in the return league encounter
- Christian Pulisic scored two goals in Milan's away victory in Torino
- Giovanni Simeone and Nikola Vlašić scored against Milan in the spring meeting at San Siro
Ignazio Abate is building Torino with three at the back
Torino appointed Abate as first-team coach after the end of last season. The early pre-season matches have already provided a fairly clear indication. Torino have repeatedly started in a 3-4-2-1 shape, with three central defenders, two players required to cover the entire wide channels and two attacking players behind the centre-forward.
That structure suits part of the current squad. Saúl Coco and Ardian Ismajli can be pillars of the back line, Cesare Casadei provides physical presence and runs from deep, while Nikola Vlašić remains one of the players who most naturally connect midfield with attack.
Giovanni Simeone is a particularly interesting opponent for Milan's defence. He is not a striker who waits for the ball exclusively between the centre-backs. He moves into the channels, attacks the second ball and tries to create space for his teammates. He has already shown against Milan how troublesome he can be, and for Abate's Torino his activity without the ball can be as important as his finishing.
Gaetano Oristanio, who arrived from Venezia during the summer, adds another profile between midfield and attack. His ability to receive the ball between the lines gives Abate the option of combining different types of players behind the striker instead of relying exclusively on physical play.
Pre-season has brought different kinds of tests. Torino beat Alcione 1-0, lost 0-1 to Cittadella, then won 1-0 away at Burnley and defeated Vado 3-1. Against Avellino the score after play was 1-1, and the Granata were more successful in the penalty shootout. These are not matches from which major conclusions should be drawn, but they show that Abate has been testing a similar basic structure for some time.
Before the league begins, Torino also have a competitive match against Carrarese, so that game in particular will provide a fresher indication of the team that could take the field against Milan.
Amorim wants a Milan side that takes the initiative
At his presentation, Rúben Amorim made no secret of the basic idea. He wants a team that controls the match, has players capable of resolving one-on-one situations and actively seeks victory instead of adapting to every opponent.
The pre-season match against Chelsea offered an early example of the 3-4-2-1 structure. Milan started with three centre-backs, four across midfield and two players behind the centre-forward. The result was difficult - Chelsea won 3-0 - but for Amorim the pre-season phase is primarily about finding the right relationships between the players.
Before that, Milan drew with Celtic and Inter, and before the start of the league campaign they still have a final test against Manchester United. For that reason, it is not yet reasonable to lock in a definitive picture of the starting eleven for Torino.
The biggest new arrival in attack is Gonçalo Ramos. The Portuguese centre-forward arrived from Paris Saint-Germain and signed a contract until 2031. His profile fits Amorim's idea well: he can play as the central reference point, attack the space behind the last line and take part in the press when Milan lose the ball.
However, around him there are several other players capable of deciding a match.
- Rafael Leão remains most dangerous when he is given space to accelerate towards the penalty area.
- Christian Pulisic already scored twice against Torino at this stadium last season and remains important between the lines and in the final third.
- Luka Modrić gives Milan control of the tempo and quality with the first pass after winning the ball.
- Samuele Ricci could be particularly interesting in a meeting with his former club and important in linking the first phase of the attack.
- Gonçalo Ramos brings a different presence in the penalty area and additional depth to the attack.
Where the match could be decided
If both coaches retain what they have shown during pre-season, two teams with very similar starting shapes but different ways of using space could appear on the pitch.
Milan will probably try to keep the ball for as long as possible and push the wide players forward, forcing the opposition's last line to spread out. In such a match, great responsibility will fall on Torino in the spaces alongside their own centre-backs. If the home side's wide players step too high towards Milan's flanks, zones will open up for Leão, Pulisic or one of the midfielders to run into.
On the other hand, the high positioning of Milan's wide players could offer Torino an opportunity after winning the ball. Simeone's movement, Vlašić's ball-carrying and vertical passes towards the players behind the striker could be the shortest route towards the visitors' defence.
The centre of the pitch will be equally important. With players such as Modrić, Ricci and Fofana, Milan have several different ways of progressing the ball. Torino will therefore not want to spend the entire evening in a low block. Abate's team have shown during pre-season a desire to press the opposition's build-up more aggressively.
The second ball could be one of the key details. When two teams with three centre-backs and advanced wide players face each other, the first duel often only determines where the loose ball will land. The team that reacts more quickly to that second contact can immediately gain an open route towards the final third.
Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino puts the crowd close to the action
Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino is located in the Santa Rita district in the south of Torino. The stadium was built in 1933 and was thoroughly renovated for sporting events in 2006. Today it has 28,177 seats and three tiers of stands.
For a football match, its advantage is its relatively compact layout. Curva Maratona is traditionally the loudest section of the home stands, and the start of the new season against Milan naturally increases the expectations of the home crowd. For Abate's team, it will also be their first league appearance in front of their own supporters.
Seats in the stands disappear quickly for matches of this profile, so it is worth securing tickets in good time.
According to information from the club, the gates generally open 120 minutes before kick-off unless different arrangements are announced for a particular match. For an evening kick-off, this provides enough time for security checks and finding the correct section without arriving immediately before the start.
- The stadium capacity is 28,177.
- The stadium is located in the southern part of Torino, between corso Sebastopoli and via Filadelfia.
- Curva Maratona is accessed from the northern side, from the direction of Corso Agnelli and Corso Sebastopoli.
- Curva Primavera is located on the southern side, with access from the direction of Via Filadelfia.
- The gates generally open two hours before kick-off.
How to get to the stadium
For visitors arriving from other cities, public transport is generally more practical than looking for a parking space by car immediately next to the stadium. Torino FC lists several connections from the main railway stations.
From Torino Porta Nuova, line 4 runs towards the stadium. From the direction of Torino Porta Susa, line 10 can be used, while lines 14 and 14b are listed from Torino Lingotto. Among the public transport lines running towards the stadium area, the club also lists 17 and 63.
The stadium is approximately 7 kilometres from the city centre, so it is useful to allow extra time, especially when a large number of spectators are travelling towards the Santa Rita district during the same period.
For those arriving by car, there is the option of parking farther away and continuing by public transport. Torino FC lists the Caio Mario car park, connected by lines 4 and 10, as one option. There are also paid or free parking zones around the stadium, but availability on matchday depends on traffic arrangements and occupancy.
- Torino Porta Nuova - line 4 towards the stadium area.
- Torino Porta Susa - line 10.
- Torino Lingotto - lines 14 and 14b.
- For arrival by car, parking at Caio Mario can be combined with continuing on line 4 or 10.
- Arriving earlier reduces the risk of congestion at the entrances and in the surrounding streets.
What supporters should watch before the first whistle
The most important question in the final days before the match will be how closely the starting line-ups resemble what Abate and Amorim used during the summer. For Torino, the competitive match against Carrarese will provide additional information about the hierarchy in defence and midfield. For Milan, the final pre-season match against Manchester United could show how close to the starting eleven are the players who joined pre-season preparations later.
The allocation of places behind the striker will be particularly interesting. Torino have Vlašić and Oristanio, along with other players Abate can use between the lines. Milan have a greater combination of speed and individual dribbling in those positions, but must find the right balance so that the three centre-backs are not left too exposed after losing the ball.
The match will also be the first real test of the new coaches under the pressure of results. A pre-season match allows experimentation. The opening league round no longer allows the same level of risk. One mistake when playing out from the back or one lost duel in midfield can change the entire plan.
For spectators at the stadium, that is exactly what makes this match interesting: these are not two finished teams meeting each other, but two projects that are only beginning to take shape. Torino will try to use home advantage and the energy of the opening round, while Milan arrive with greater expectations after finishing fifth and making major summer changes.
Tickets for this match are in demand among supporters. For those planning a trip to Torino, it is more practical to organize arrival and entry to the stadium in advance than to leave everything until the final hour before kick-off.
Sources:
- Lega Serie A - current schedule for the opening round of the 2026/27 season and confirmed kick-off time for Torino - Milan
- Lega Serie A - final standings for the 2025/26 season, including Milan's 70 points and Torino's 45 points
- Torino FC - 2026/27 season calendar and information about the match against Milan
- Torino FC - information about Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, capacity, gate opening times, access points, public transport and parking
- Torino FC - appointment of Ignazio Abate and reports from pre-season matches against Pinzolo Valrendena, Alcione, Cittadella, Burnley, Vado and Avellino
- AC Milan - presentation of Rúben Amorim and his guidelines for the style of play
- AC Milan - report from the pre-season match against Chelsea and the formation used
- AC Milan - information about the arrival of Gonçalo Ramos
- AC Milan - reports and match records from the two league meetings against Torino in the 2025/26 season