Baroni reveals touching Torino gesture from Simeone against AC Milan

Torino coach Marco Baroni reveals the unusual request from Giovanni Simeone for this evening’s Serie A clash with AC Milan. ‘It’s a good sign sent to the rest of the team.’

It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

There was a surprise when the official squad list was released, because Simeone and Alberto Paleari had not been on the one released earlier, but they were named on the bench this evening.

“Simeone asked me along with Paleari, so they are on the bench, but not available to play,” Baroni told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was pleasing that they asked that, it is a good sign that they sent to the rest of the team. I feel very confident. We need to play at the maximum level, both as individuals and as a team.”

A surprising change is that Cesare Casadei is benched in favour of Tino Anjorin, who gets his first start of the season for Torino in Serie A.

“I saw him improving more and more over the past few weeks, so now I want to see him from the first minute. We also need to give some rest to those who played all the time.

“I have full faith in him, the team must also help put him in the best condition,” concluded Baroni.

Torino are in dire need of a boost, as they are without a victory in five Serie A games, drawing three on the bounce and then suffering back-to-back defeats to Como and Lecce.

Their most recent home fixture was the most damaging, a 5-1 loss to Como that saw them jeered off the field by their own fans.

Baroni can only hope history is on his side, as AC Milan have not beaten Torino away from home since May 2021, managing only a draw and three consecutive defeats here.