Carlos Bacca Shows Icon Potential with Hat-Trick for AC Milan in Torino Win

When Carlos Bacca is on the pitch, defences are in trouble. Torino found this out the hard way on Sunday evening, as the Colombian fired a hat-trick of goals past them to help AC Milan to a 3-2 victory at the San Siro.

The striker’s consummate individual performance reminded Italian football of the perils of giving him space and time.

The away side, led by former Rossoneri head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, started strongly, pressing man to man high up the pitch, forcing their hosts into playing more direct balls from the back.

With Adem Ljajic and Josef Martinez covering Gabriel Paletta and Alessio Romagnoli, and Andrea Belotti cutting off the pass out to Riccardo Montolivo, Milan often had no choice but to go long—something that opposes the principles new boss Vincenzo Montella has sought to implement during his short time in charge thus far.

Torino also threatened, albeit briefly, in an attacking sense, though they were unable to create consistently in the first half. And when left-back Cristian Molinaro went to sleep and allowed Ignazio Abate to cross for Bacca in the penalty box on 38 minutes, there was no doubt where the ball was going to end up.

The 29-year-old planted a firm header beyond the reach of Daniele Padelli to give Milan a 1-0 lead, which they would protect until half-time.

However, the second half opened disastrously for the Rossoneri. Atoning for his earlier misstep, Molinaro picked out Belotti, who moved quickly to beat Romagnoli in the air and head home an equaliser just three minutes after the commencement of play.

Fortunately, thanks in large part to the presence of Bacca, parity didn’t last long.

On 50 minutes, he once again found space in the penalty area to finish a cross from M’baye Niang, and 13 minutes later, he fired home a penalty after a slaloming run by Giacomo Bonaventura resulted in him being brought down.

50′ Carlos Bacca (replay) pic.twitter.com/FrD8NNbZkh

— MilanMania (@milan__mania) August 21, 2016

A late fightback from Torino saw Daniele Baselli take advantage of tired Milan legs to draw one back, before Paletta pulled Belotti to the floor to concede a last-gasp penalty. This time, 17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the star, saving his first spot-kick in Serie A.

Thus, a typically chaotic Rossoneri collapse was prevented by the hands of an exceptional shot-stopping prospect, but Bacca was the real star.

There was a genuine symbolism about his substitution and the frayed nerves that followed.

The striker, taken off to a warm ovation on 86 minutes, had the smile wiped off his face by his team-mates’ inability to see out what looked a relatively comfortable …

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