AC Milan 0-2 Juventus: 5 Talking Points, Serie A 2018-19
Juventus dispatched an industrious AC Milan side 2-0 at the San Siro to extend unbeaten run in the league to 13 games now. Mario Mandzukic and Cristiano Ronaldo combined to consign Gennaro Gattuso's men to a third defeat of the campaign, though the night was made worse by Gonzalo Higuain's penalty miss and a stunning red card.
The Argentine fluffed his lines from 12 yards early in the first-half to squander a chance to pull the Rossoneri level, but things came to a head later on in the match when he lost his cool at the referee and was given the marching orders.
The hosts were promising in bits and parts, producing fleeting moments of quality in the attacking third and also putting up a stern defensive show. Yet, they were no match for the high-flying Bianconeri, who are seemingly sailing towards an eighth consecutive league title.
Here are the major talking points from the match:
#1 Milan show stones, but lack organization
Oft-criticised for timid showings against the mightier sides in recent times, AC Milan have changed their attitude in big games like this since the last year or so. Against Juventus too, the hosts did their best to punch above their weight, but their tactical approach leaves a lot to be desired.
For starters, the midfield lacked any sense of solidity or robustness. Time and time again we could see the Bianconeri winning the ball back from the centre of the park with relative ease and break ahead. Secondly, this rendered the frontline of Higuain, Suso and Castillejo powerless as they were devoid of service for most of the time.
To put that into perspective, they registered only two shots on target on the night, one apiece from Higuain and Suso.
Milan's method of finding a breakthrough was only to press high up and hope Juve commit an error. And even though it did produce a few nervy moments, their overall gameplay was wafer-thin. Il Diavolo spent most of the time in their own half and unsurprisingly went down.