AC Milan got another useful preseason run-out in Los Angeles as they drew 2-2 with Serie A rivals Juventus at the Dignity Health Sports Park.
Milan twice led during the game through Malick Thiaw’s header from a free-kick and Olivier Giroud’s close range finish after an assist from the German but they were ultimately unable to hang onto the lead both times.
Danilo equalised the first time for Juventus, stabbing home a corner that the Rossoneri failed to clear, and then it was Daniele Rugani whose header deflected off Giroud to beat Maignan and make it 2-2.
Head coach Stefano Pioli named a stronger starting line-up compared to the team that played Real Madrid earlier in the week, with Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, Malick Thiaw, Tijjani Reijnders, Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao all coming in.
Milan began the game demonstrating a high press and they had the ball in the net after less than two minutes. Davide Calabria stole position inside Juve’s half and Christian Pulisic squared for Giroud to fire home, but the USA international had just strayed offside.
Fikayo Tomori had a hard landing inside the opening 10 minutes as he went up for a challenge with Kean and fell on his back. It looked as if he might have to come off, but he was able to run it off.
Thiaw was the first name into the book in the 15th minute after he mistimed a challenge on a surging Kean, but Locatelli’s hard tackle on Loftus-Cheek moments later did not get the same punishment.
The first effort of the game came from Chiesa as he cut inside and fired into the arms of Maignan, but Calabria – who he went past – was worryingly forced off with what looked like a groin problem. Alessandro Florenzi replaced him.
On the 23 minute mark, Milan took the lead and it came from a set piece, just as it did against Real Madrid. Reijnders earned a free-kick in a dangerous position that was whipped in by Theo and met by Thiaw, whose header beat Szczęsny and nestled in the far corner.
Juve could have drawn level not long after as Weah showed his pace to get away from his man down their right side, pulling the ball back to the edge of the box where Chiesa was waiting, but he fired narrowly wide.
The Bianconeri did get themselves level ten minutes after Milan’s opener. It came in scrappy fashion as a corner was glanced on by McKennie and should have been converted by Gatti, but eventually his defensive partner Danilo stabbed home at the second attempt.
Just over six minutes before the break, Milan got their lead back. A corner from the right side was taken short and whipped in by Pulisic before being headed down by Thiaw to Giroud who was stood in acres of space. The Frenchman volleyed in first time with Juventus players adamant he was offside, but replays showed he was well onside.
It took just over two minutes for Juventus to get themselves level for the second time, and again it came from a set piece. Chiesa’s low free-kick was met by Rugani’s stooping header, which deflected off Giroud and past Maignan.
Pulisic did well to draw a free-kick with a darting run through the heart of the Juve defence in the 55th minute, and Giroud tested their substitute goalkeeper Pinsoglio with a dipping low shot from it.
Moments later, Giroud wasn’t a million miles away from replicating his famous scorpion kick goal that he scored for Arsenal years back, though he didn’t quite connect as cleanly with Reijnders’ cross.
Just before the hour mark, Pioli made wholesale changes. Florenzi was the only player to remain as Marco Sportiello, Jan-Carlo Simic, Davide Bartesaghi, Alexis Saelemaekes, Tommaso Pobega, Charles De Ketelaere, Yacine Adli, Luka Romero, Chaka Traore and Lorenzo Colombo came on.
With both teams having made big changes the game descended into somewhat of a lull, though Pobega was inches away from getting Milan’s third 15 minutes from the end with a shot from distance.
Less than a minute later, the Rossoneri had a couple more chances. Chaka Traore did well to steal possession back in a dangerous place but saw his shot blocked, then Pinsoglio saved from Romero’s stabbed effort on the rebound.
A final change came with seven minutes left as Kevin Zeroli came on for Florenzi, and with the score level at 2-2 it went to a token penalty shootout.
Luka Romero slipped and missed the target while Pobega saw his spot kick saved but Sportiello thwarted Iling-Junior to take it to sudden death. Bartesaghi failed to score, and Soule converted the winning kick.
