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Torino will be looking to make life difficult for Ruben Amorim and AC Milan on Sunday evening, led by the former Rossoneri man Ignazio Abate. The first game of the 2026-27 season is upon us and unfortunately, it’s not an easy fixture for the Rossoneri: Torino away. It’s one that they have only won twice in the last 13 years, and the fact that Abate is now Il Toro’s manager doesn’t help. Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial! Still, as admitted by Amorim in his press conference, it’s one that Milan must win to keep up the momentum and please their fans. It can also be seen as an opportunity as beating Abate’s men would send a strong signal. Opposition insight on Torino Torino secured a respectable 12th-place finish in the 2025-26 season under the guidance of Marco Baroni (sacked in February) and then Roberto D’Aversa. However, it’s clear that they are looking for more than that, given the history of the club. Indeed, looking at the last seven seasons, they have only managed to break into the top ten once. They haven’t been far away from the relegation zone either a few times, all the while it felt like they were losing a bit of identity. This summer’s appointment of Milan’s former Primavera manager, as such, wasn’t at all surprising to me. Abate has done a brilliant job in just five years as a coach, delivering at the top end of both Serie C and Serie B, relying on an attractive style of football as well. It feels like Torino want to find their way back to the European places, or at least get closer to them, while developing players to increase the cash income. Coming from his experience with Milan’s academy, you could argue that Abate is the perfect man for that job. Of course, it’s still a pretty big gamble as this is the 39-year-old’s first coaching gig in the top tier. The pressure is much higher, especially since the fanbase has been rather critical of the club lately, but at least they started with a win. Carrarese Calcio were beaten 1-0 in the Coppa Italia Round of 32, but looking at the chances from that game, they should have scored more. Anyway, as for the squad at Abate’s disposal, the likes of Pietro Comuzzo (new signing), Marcus Pedersen, Cesare Casadei, Nikola Vlasic, and Giovanni Simeone stand out. There are a few more interesting names in the squad, so Abate will definitely have some players to develop throughout the course of the season. It’s worth noting that the strikers Duvan Zapata and Pietro Pellegri (former Milan man) will miss the game due to injury, as will the goalkeeper Franco Israel and the midfielder Tino Anjorin (new signing). During his press conference, Abate admitted that it will be a special game, but also made it clear that the best way of showing respect for his former side is to give them a run for their money… “Milan taught me to be hungry and ambitious. The best way to show them affection is to make things difficult for them. Once on the field, there will only be the present and the ambition to start the season off right,” he stated. Predicted Torino XI (3-4-2-1): Mascardi; Coco, Ismajli, Comuzzo; Pedersen, Gineitis, Fitz-Jim, Cacciamani; Vlasic, Njie; Simeone. Predicted bench: Paleari, Siviero, Pellini, Carrascosa, Luongo, Ilkhan, Ilic, Biraghi, Casadei, Kulenovic, Aboukhlal, Adams, Gabellini, Oristanio. Injuries & suspensions: Anjorin, Israel, Pellegri and Zapata.