27 April 2024
Juventus collected a second clean sheet of the season against Milan but failed to reduce the five-point gap on the Rossoneri as the showdown at the Allianz Stadium finished 0-0.
Chances were few and far between in a tight first half but after the interval the Bianconeri were much more dangerous. However, attack after attack was thwarted by Milan goalkeeper Marco Sportiello.
For Juve, it was a third goalless draw in their last six league matches.
THE MATCH
The first sight of goal arrived as early as the seventh minute when Dusan Vlahovic created space for himself at the edge of the area. However the striker’s shot was straight at Sportiello, a late replacement for Mike Maignan in the Milan goal.
Further chances fell to Federico Gatti and Andrea Cambiaso, who found themselves in promoting positions running at the Milan defence. Neither, though, could keep their shots on target.
Milan were likewise inaccurate in front of goal, with Wojciech Szczesny not called on to make a save over the length of the first half.
Sportiello, however, produced the game’s first real stop in first half stoppages, getting down smartly to parry a Vlahovic free-kick from a similar position that the number nine had scored from last weekend at Cagliari.
The replacement goalkeeper for the visitors emerged as the final line of defence as Juventus piled on the pressure after the break.
In the 50th minute, a fierce Filip Kostic drive was blocked by Sportiello, who somehow also got in the way of Danilo’s follow-up effort.
The introduction of Federico Chiesa and Arkadiusz Milik freshened up the Bianconeri attack. Chiesa’s pace immediately caused problems - again Sportiello proved insurmountable.
On 73’ a run and cross from Chiesa was met by Milik, which Sportiello smothered on the line. A minute later Chiesa popped up on the left, and his cross again aimed for Milik, was scrambled out for a corner.
Inside the final five minutes Sportiello made his first mistake, spilling a Weston McKennie header. The ball broke loose to Adrien Rabiot, who at the edge of the six-yard box stabbed his shot goalwards - only for Malick Thiaw made a goalline block.
Milik then glanced a header towards the far post, but the ball went agonisingly wide.
Despite all the Bianconeri pressure there was to be no breakthrough.
JUVENTUS 0-0 MILAN (HT: 0-0)
JUVENTUS: Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Weah (70′ McKennie), Cambiaso, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic (61′ Chiesa), Vlahovic (61′ Milik), Yildiz (80′ Miretti). Subs not used: Perin, Pinsoglio, Alex Sandro, Iling-Jr, Kean, Rugani, Alcaraz, Djalo, Nicolussi Caviglia. Coach: Allegri.
MILAN: Sportiello; Musah (81′ Bartesaghi), Gabbia, Thiaw, Florenzi; Adli (61′ Bennacer), Reijnders; Pulisic (81′ Chukwueze), Loftus-Cheek (81′ Zeroli), Leao; Giroud (70′ Okafor). Subs not used: Maignan, Nava, Caldara, Terracciano, Simic. Coach: Pioli.
Referee: Mariani
Bookings: 45′ Musah
