5 things from AC Milan's Champions League-shattering defeat vs. Torino

Welcome to the 5 Things recap by theScore's Anthony Lopopolo, which highlights AC Milan's performances over the 2018-19 season. Here's a breakdown of Milan's 2-0 loss to Torino.

Messing up the biggest moments

Milan threw away their season in just over a month and a half. Collecting five points out of a possible 24, the Rossoneri dropped into seventh place in the standings. Milan's only saving grace was the incompetence of their nearest rivals, because they should've been eliminated from Champions League contention a long time ago. We witnessed a true meltdown Sunday at Torino, where Suso, Andrea Conti, and Lucas Paqueta were all booked within the first 16 minutes. True to form, the players had no response for Torino's opening goal, succumbing to a second shortly after. A season that began with so much promise is about to reach a disgraceful end.

Gattuso losing control of Milan

Gennaro Gattuso can't take Milan any further. It's as simple as that. His players come through training sessions as worse versions of themselves. No one can take a corner kick any more or build up a meaningful attack. The players deserve their share of the blame, but the chaos on the pitch also reflects poorly on the coach. Milan always look confused, not knowing what to do in the final third or with the lion's share of possession. It's not so much a question of formations as it is a lack of organization. Gattuso failed to put his players in a position to succeed and relied too much on Paqueta and Krzysztof Piatek's individual brilliance to win games. That well inevitably dried up.

Suso's time is up

Suso has played his way out of the club. There are only so many times he can play that same left-footed cross into the area. His stats are deceiving; most of his assists came before the end of November. Since then, he's been a ghost, hardly contributing anything meaningful. And when he's not scoring or setting up goals, he's anonymous. And that happens every year. Forget the new contract. It's time to find Suso a new club.

Players showing true colors

But the Spaniard isn't the only one who has disappointed supporters. Franck Kessie and Hakan Calhanoglu both flatter to deceive, showing glimpses of promise before reverting to the same inadequate routine. Kessie is great at pressing, but it's a lottery whenever he touches the ball. Calhanoglu wastes dozens of shots on goal, and for a so-called playmaker, his passes leave a lot to be desired. Mateo Musacchio has also exposed himself as a sloppy defender in recent matches, and Ricardo Rodriguez is often too timid to run up and down the left flank.

Torino have more heart

Torino now have the head-to-head advantage over Milan in the Serie A standings, and considering they're tied on points, it could come in handy. Despite what seems on paper to be an underwhelming squad, Torino won the physical and mental battle on Sunday. While the Rossoneri moaned at the referee, the hosts got to work. Andrea Belotti is back to his hard-working self and veteran Lorenzo De Silvestri is providing sturdiness at the back. Though they benefited from a dubious penalty decision, Torino certainly deserved the win.