AC Milan secured a place in next season’s edition of the Champions League with a 1-0 victory against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night.
In truth it was far from a classic between two sides who looked exhausted and lacking in quality after a long and arduous season, but Milan only needed one point to secure fourth spot and ended up coming away with three.
The moment of quality came in the first half when a cross from Davide Calabria on the right side perfectly picked out Olivier Giroud, who beat Szczęsny with a brilliant header that he had very little chance of stopping.
A third straight season in the Champions League awaits for Milan, who have done the double over Juventus for only the third time in 50 years.
Stefano Pioli decided not to make any changes to the starting line-up compared to the team that beat Sampdoria last weekend, with Malick Thiaw, Brahim Diaz and Junior Messias among those getting the nod.
Given that the pressure was firmly on Juventus to come out and try beat Milan given the situation with the top four race, it is perhaps no surprise that they began on the front foot. However, it was Milan who spurned a couple of counter-attacking chances, with Rafael Leao particularly wasteful in his first few possessions.
The first real effort on goal that the Rossoneri fashioned was on eight minutes when a corner from Sandro Tonali on the right met the head of Rade Krunic at the near post, but the Bosnian diverted his attempt just wide.
A few minutes later another opening presented itself as Leao was tackled on the break but the ball fell to Messias on his favoured left foot, with the Brazilian cutting inside and firing a curling effort straight at Szczęsny.
Mike Maignan was then called into action for the first time when Cuadrado found space to let fly from just over 20 yards out. The Frenchman did well to get down quickly and parry the low shot to safety.
Sandro Tonali made some runs in behind that began to cause issues around the midway point of the first half, firing wide from a good position when he was offside and then glancing a header over the bar from a Messias cross not long after.
Juve produced a moment of danger when Kean was allowed to surge into the box virtually unopposed, with his cut-back eventually landing in the path of Di Maria whose first time shot was over. A minute later, Chiesa shot over from a narrow angle.
Kean’s runs continued to be the main cause of danger from the home side, and Fikayo Tomori did well to cut out a low ball that was heading for the Italian’s near post run and would surely have been turned in.
Milan broke the deadlock five minutes before the break, and it was Olivier Giroud who got his first goal against Juventus with the club. An inch-perfect cross from the right flank by Davide Calabria met the Frenchman’s head beyond the penalty spot, with the ball nestling inside the far corner as Szczęsny was beaten.
The theme of the first half was both teams having flashes and moments without there being any real quality to take chances or get firmly into the ascendancy, and that continued in the early exchanges of the second half.
The first time that Maignan was tested by the home side was 10 minutes into the second 45, with Rabiot’s low shot easily gathered. A minute later, Messias was brought off for Alexis Saelemaekers.
There was even less action to report leading up to the three-quarter mark of the game, with most of the action being rough challenges and both sides appealing for fouls. Giroud whacked a free-kick well over from a good position, then Juve threw Milik and Paredes on with their desperation growing.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, Milan missed a huge chance to double their lead and probably kill the game off. Giroud picked up possession in acres of space with Brahim making a run through on goal and Saelemaekers to his right. He slid it to the Belgian, whose low drive was well saved in the end.
It continued to be the Diavolo who posed the main threat on the break, with Leao getting one on one with Gatti down the left side and getting into the box, yet he couldn’t keep his effort down when there were passing options.
With just under nine minutes left on the clock, Pioli made a couple more changes. Tommaso Pobega and Fode Ballo-Toure came on, with Brahim and Leao making way.
Not long after Rabiot headed wide from a cross to the far post, the final two substitutions arrived for Milan. Pierre Kalulu and Divock Origi came on, with Calabria and Giroud making way.
The final moment of panic came in the second of four added minutes, as a corner from Juve’s left found its way to Danilo who struck a volley from six yards out that was blocked by Kalulu.
Allegri got a taste of his own medicine.
Pathetic display from both teams.. but we won. That’s what matters.
Just a heads up.. If inter loses next match and we win.. we move to 3rd lol
FVCK Allegri and FVCK Juve.
Forza Milan.
“Pathetic display from both teams”
Milan had the game under control right from the start and excluding 3 gifts/scoring chances Krunic donated Juve everything went as planned. Even better.
Pathetic? I guess you don’t enjoy Milan dominating Juve. At an away match. Keeping the whole team in their pockets. Oh welll… Can’t entertain them all, eh?
Lucky Pioli. But result was the most important.
Now management on the move !
Giroud saves another lackluster team performance. Juve barely showed up after the point deduction. Pioli is the luckiest coach out there and now he keeps his job, unfortunately, but at least we are in the CL.
You seem so sad that Milan won these past few games like wtf
Only sad about Pioli not getting fired. He has no idea how to attack. There is no offensive strategy. I hope at least management wakes up and realizes that we only got into the CL by pure luck, so they buy a creative player or two.
Okay so send, your resume to Maldini.. Perhaps he, will consider you for head coach?
For me personally. Maldini are the luckiest director in serie A , after 1st season disaster appoint giampaolo then replace him with pioli, we almost relegated and owner elliot already want rangnick to replace him but lucky we finish 6th and he saved. This season disaster too , he failed to get kessie replacement & wasted fund buy CDK ,Junior,Florenzi,adili also pay loan fee for useless player like bakayoko,aster prank, lord Dest. He wasted club budget 50m euro , dont forget superstar king of the king origoat that get 4m euro nett thanks to maldini . If i can , i want to take maldini job and signing player that coach want like SMS & orsolini next season but too bad i cannot due to im not club legend and i can only pray he is not wasted 70m euro budget next season or we will doomed with crap depth
He looks like @Poli in disguise..🤣
I was a Milan fan long before most of you were born, maybe that’s why I have higher standards. Are you guys saying that Pioli is actually a good coach??? If so, I hope you don’t manage people or perform important jobs.
There is no way you are a Milan fan before I was born lol. Not to give away my age but I’ve been through almost the entire Berlusconi era til now. There’s no way you can tell me that the results Pioli has produced that he’s not one of the best coaches EVER for Milan. Just simply points-wise he’s right up there with Capello and all the other good coaches but with a VASTLY inferior squad. Pioli is a very very good coach. He was able to bring out the best and improve Theo, Kessie, Kalulu, Timori, Thiaw, Bennacer, Tonali, Leao, Saele. And that’s alot. And he’s done better with worse than our previous coaches.
Pioli is not a good coach but I see a very distant gap between your anger and the fact that he is staying.
No, do not tell us you have been a Milan fan since before birth and you only want the best for the club bla bla bla.
I only see misery and suffering here. Stop latching on to things you see and hear. They all have their own path, let them go their way and you go your way. There is just so much suffering in this Gary person. Hope you feel better soon.
I know I seem pessimistic to most people for sure. Maybe it’s because my job is to find and fix mistakes other people make, and I’ve seen so much incompetence in the corporate world and in government for 25 years.
I would like to know what your prediction is for Milan for next season so I can see who turns out to be right. It’s not a competition, I just want to see if I’m too pessimistic about the team. BTW I think the club as a whole is moving in the right direction.
Lol only 25 years.and u want to talk about being born before ppl here. Bro take a seat and relax. We haven sniffed top 4 in almost a decade before Pioli came.