Paulo Dybala and Ante Rebic starred for Juventus and AC Milan, respectively, in an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium.
Paulo Dybala seemed to have regained his importance in this Juventus side and it looked like the Argentine was set inspire his team to a victory over rivals AC Milan. However, Ante Rebic had other ideas as he earned a deserved point for the Rossoneri with a 76th-minute equaliser.
Dybala was our player to watch in the build-up to this gigantic clash of the Italian titans. The Argentine was pulling the strings for Juventus, while his ball to fellow forward Alvaro Morata early in the game broke the deadlock. The Bianconeri were showing flashes of their old self before Rebic turned up with an equalising goal.
As the game revolved around the contrasting fortunes of both clubs, the cagey contest it turned out to be was a fitting ending to this gigantic clash. The Old Lady desperately needed a positive result to end their recent slump, which only worsened following this draw, as they now languish in the bottom three from being 16th before the game began.
On the other hand, Milan kept their second spot in the table on goal difference. After taking over from AS Roma, Inter Milan, top the table, after Jose Mourinho’s men lost their battle with Hellas Verona to end their own 100% record. Stefano Pioli’s men will not look to build momentum as they host newcomers Venezia on Wednesday.
Juventus in Serie A this season:
Udinese 2-2 Juventus
Juventus 0-1 Empoli
Napoli 2-1 Juventus
Juventus 1-1 AC MilanThey currently sit in the relegation zone with only two points through four games ? pic.twitter.com/EGPgodIJhi
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 19, 2021
Meanwhile, Juventus will get their chance to climb out of the bottom three when they travel to play Spezia during midweek. However, Massimiliano Allegri will consider the Milan draw a lost opportunity to get their first win of this difficult Serie A season.
Here are the player ratings from Juventus 1-1 AC Milan
Wojciech Szczesny – 6/10
Much improved performance from the Polish stopper after a series of bad games this season. Szczesny’s terrific save from Pierre Kalulu’s shot was the highlight of his game, but the goal conceded was unfortunate, and it wasn’t his fault this time.
Danilo – 6/10
Danilo’s main target was to nullify the threat posed by Rafael Leao, and he did quite well to execute that task. The Brazilian was not very adventurous in attack, as Milan’s pace would have seen him struggle during counterattacks. Did well defensively on his side all game.
Giorgio Chiellini – 5.5/10
As Juventus controlled proceedings for most parts, Milan did not pose any tough problems for the backline. Chiellini, for most periods, had a comfortable but solid game. However, he’ll go home disappointed for the manner of the equaliser from the set-piece.
Leonardo Bonucci – 5.5/10
Like Chiellini, Bonucci had a fairly comfortable evening, although he was alert to any threats Milan posed. His passing was exceptional throughout the game, although he should have done better alongside his defensive partner for the Rossoneri equaliser.
Alex Sandro – 5/10
Another comfortable defender for Juventus tonight, with Alex Sandro’s flank barely seeing any potentially dangerous actions. Dealt with whatever came his way with ease, especially keeping the likes of Alexis Saelemaekers quiet.
Juan Cuadrado – 6/10
Showed Allegri the consistency levels he has maintained over many years at the club. Cuadrado was a threat from the right-wing all evening, as he tried to create something for his teammates. he was also a great outlet to lay a pass to, but he could have been more decisive.
Manuel Locatelli – 5/10
A fairly uneventful afternoon for the former Sassuolo man, who is still getting to grips with his new surroundings. Such big games will do him good for the season, but he will be disappointed at how Rebic beat him in the air resulting in the equaliser.
Rodrigo Betancur – 7.5/10
Juventus’ best midfielder on the evening, as Bentacur battled hard to gain control of the central areas from Franck Kessie, and for most parts, he succeeded. Nullifying the Ivorian gave his side greater control of the game, as the midfielder improved as the game wore on.
Adrien Rabiot – 5.5/10
An eventful evening from the Frenchman, who, surprisingly, was running his socks off. It’s unusual to see the French midfielder move so much but tried to help his teammates in the best way possible.
Alvaro Morata – 7.5/10
Morata was a lively presence up front and finished superbly from a terrific Dybala ball to give Juventus an early lead. He should improve his overall contributions over 90-minutes to have a much bigger impact on games, and mainly create his identity upfront at the club.
Paulo Dybala – 8/10
Juventus’ man of the match, after the Argentine, showcased his mastery on the ball. He created the chance from Juventus’ half, as he slipped the ball to an unmarked Morata, who finished superbly. These are good steps towards becoming the relevant superstar of his side again, after a brief cameo by Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years.
Substitutes
Moise Kean – 4/10
Kean replaced Morata and had no impact during his time on the pitch.
Federico Chiesa – 4/10
Struggled a bit to get the grips, and his recent injury had a bearing on his slow performance after coming on.
Dejan Kulusevski – 4/10
Sent to create an impact in the final third but failed to make the most of his time.
AC Milan
Mike Maignan – 6/10
Maignan wasn’t at fault for the early Juventus goal but had a decent evening between the posts. He made some important saves throughout the game while keeping his distribution to an optimum level.
Fikayo Tomori – 6.5/10
Fikayo Tomori vs. Juventus:
-4 tackles
-2 clearances
-1 interception
-5/7 ground duels won
-2/2 aerial duels won
-89.2% passing accuracy
-6/9 long balls completed@DharnishSizlak on Tomori: https://t.co/9ekLlzXCBa pic.twitter.com/Eij5RnX9s5— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) September 19, 2021
In the absence of Davide Calabria, Tomori started at right-back initially, although later moved centrally after Simon Kjaer’s early exit. He played his part well in both positions, while his aggressive game was on the show to deal with Juventus’s attacking threat.
Simon Kjaer – 5.5/10
Despite his side conceding an early goal and Kjaer lasting just for 36 minutes, the Dane was at the heart of the backline during that period. Did well in his short spell, although Milan would be sweating on this injury.
Alessio Romagnoli – 6/10
After playing no part against Liverpool, the AC Milan captain returned to the lineup due to a reshuffle of the backline. Romnagoli repaid the manager’s trust with a solid display at the heart of the defence.
Theo Hernandez – 5/10
Ineffective all game, as Hernandez endured a difficult night on the big stage. His big mistake led to Juventus’ goal, and he was extremely sloppy on the ball, making several mistakes along the way. Showed slight improvements as the game wore on, but not enough by his regular standards.
Sandro Tonali – 6.5/10
A battling performance from Tonali in midfield, winning several of his ground duels and being overall impressive. Got an assist to cap off his good display as Rebic scored off his corner kick.
Sandro Tonali’s performance vs. Juventus:
90 minutes played
46 completed passes
92% pass completion
1 assist
4 accurate long balls
2 chances created
7 duels won
2 successful tackles
7 ball recoveriesGem mint midfielder ??⚫️ pic.twitter.com/XvhQPkl4rg
— Matt Santangelo ?? (@Matt_Santangelo) September 19, 2021
Franck Kessie – 5/10
Kessie was having an off day, as his struggles to control the game showed. Bentancur made life difficult for the Ivorian in central areas, as the Milan midfielder was barely effective. He should shrug it off as a temporary slump and look forwards to getting back at his best soon.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 4.5/10
There were some serious struggles from Saelemaekers on display as the winger could not break away from Alex Sandro on the right side. Had no impact whatsoever and should look at the mistakes made in this game to bring about slight changes to his approach.
Brahim Diaz – 5.5/10
Diaz’s lack of creativity was the reason Milan struggled to break down Juventus’ defence. He did not have a positive game by his standards and was not effective in any way. Diaz’s possession skills remain a joy to watch, though.
Rafael Leao – 6/10
Leao struggled to get past Danilo on his side, but compared to Saelemaekers, he had an eventful evening. While he was getting into threatening positions, the final ball lacked conviction for most parts. He needs to improve drastically to become a key member of this Milan side.
Ante Rebic – 7/10
While Dybala was edging towards the star of the game gong, Rebic stole the spotlight with his powerful equaliser late in the match. The Croatian justified his selection after being chosen ahead of Olivier Giroud to lead the line and came up with the goods at the right time.
Substitutes
Pierre Kalulu – 6/10
Kalulu replaced the injured Kjaer and slotted in comfortably in the Rossoneri defence. The Frenchman was pushing higher during periods and got a fantastic shot saved by Szczesny in the 88th minute to deny a possible late Milan winner.
Ismael Bennacer – 6/10
Bennacer replaced the ineffective Kessie midway through the second half and instantly gained control of midfield. He couldn’t provide anything spectacular as the game wore on but looked solid enough in the centre.
Alessandro Florenzi – 5.5/10
Florenzi replaced the out-of-sorts Saelemaekers and quickly gained some control on the right side of the attack. A tidy cameo from the versatile star.
Daniel Maldini – N/A
Maldini replaced Diaz in the dying moments of the game, not enough to earn a rating.
