Milan player ratings vs Torino: Calhanoglu decisive while quintet key in victory

Milan eventually saw off Torino in a thrilling Coppa Italia tie as Hakan Calhanoglu came off the bench to play a decisive role in the win.

The 25-year-old scored twice to turn the encounter back in our favour, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic added a fourth after Giacomo Bonaventura had initially given us the lead.

SEE MORE: Five key talking points as Milan win thrilling tie vs Torino to advance in Coppa Italia

That now sets up a semi-final showdown with Juventus, but Milan have important games coming up before then as we look to extend a five-game winning streak across all competitions.

Milan player ratings vs Torino:

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6 – Should have done better on the first goal in particular, but also produced some key saves as he so often does to keep us in the game.

Andrea Conti, 5.5 – Still looking for a more solid performance from the right-back both defensively and going forward to be entirely happy with him starting. Aspects of his display which are positive, but must still improve.

Simon Kjaer, 6 – Good outing for the January arrival as he marshalled things well at the back and is seemingly making it difficult for Stefano Pioli to drop him.

Alessio Romagnoli, 5.5 – Not his greatest game as he was caught out in the build up to the goals and showed an uncharacteristic lack of discipline in his positioning.

Theo Hernandez, 5.5 – After setting a high standard in recent weeks, his form has started to slip in the last two games and so given his importance to the team, he’ll need to just regroup and work towards getting back to that consistency as he was still a threat at times.

Samu Castillejo, 6.5 – His work ethic and determination are attributes which have made him crucial to Milan since he broke back into the side and while he doesn’t always show enough quality in the final third, he is starting to improve his decision making and be more influential.

Rade Krunic, 5.5 – A decent enough display without ever really doing anything that stood out. Difficult to see him keeping his place ahead of Franck Kessie at the weekend.

Ismael Bennacer, 6 – Still sloppy at times, but his tenacity and ability to be a driving force in midfield is making him indispensable. His absence will be a real blow on Sunday given he’ll serve a suspension.

Giacomo Bonaventura, 6 – Brilliant in the build-up to his goal as showed his class to get into the box and put his chance away. Faded in the second half but a much more promising display out on the left.

Ante Rebic, 6.5 – Now that he’s playing with confidence, Rebic looks a completely different player. Has a tireless work ethic off the ball but his ability to run at players, his trickery and movement off the ball are all strengths that must surely make him a sure-fire starter on Sunday.

Krzysztof Piatek, 4.5 – Unfortunately for Piatek, he wasn’t able to build on his performance in the last round and was largely anonymous while making countless mistakes in possession. As he slides down the pecking order, this wouldn’t have done much to help him move back up.

Substitutions

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 6.5 – Aside from the horrible miss in injury time, his impact off the bench was crucial. Offered more of a presence up top and his movement across the line gave Torino something else to think about while he showed his class with a well-taken goal.

Hakan Calhanoglu, 8 – Brilliant impact as he scored twice and turned the game in Milan’s favour. Deflection on his first effort but he forced his own good luck by being in the right place to take the shot, and also proved too much for Salvatore Sirugu with his second. Relief, joy and perhaps confidence now to kick off and build on this.

Franck Kessie 6 – Positive cameo appearance as he provided the assist for Calhanoglu’s second.