Christian Pulisic’s penalty miss proved costly for AC Milan as they played out a 0-0 draw with Juventus.
Juventus and AC Milan played out a cagey 0-0 draw at the Allianz Stadium, with neither team willing to take risks in the early stages. The visitors had a promising start when Davide Bartesaghi delivered a great ball into the box for Fofana, but the striker ballooned the ball over the bar.
The first 20 minutes saw a slow tempo with both teams battling for dominance in midfield. However, things started to heat up when Christian Pulisic stole possession and surged into the Juventus penalty box, only to lose his footing and stumble. A poor clearance from Juventus nearly gave Fofana a golden opportunity, but the Old Lady’s defence reacted quickly to the error.
The communication mix-up between Jonathan David and Weston McKennie added to the poor nature of Juventus’s game as both players got their wires crossed on two separate occasions, resulting in great chances going begging. Juventus exploited the space on the flanks, with McKennie getting on the end of a cross but deflecting it past everyone and out for a goal kick.
In the second half, Juventus started strong, with a short corner taken by Conceicao leading to a good ball into the box. Gatti’s shot on the volley was saved brilliantly by Maignan, denying the Bianconeri defender.
Milan finally had their chance to break the deadlock when Lloyd Kelly fouled Gimenez in the box, but Christian Pulisic’s penalty shot sailed over the bar, giving Juventus a huge let-off.
After the penalty miss, Milan took control of the game, pushing hard with Luka Modric orchestrating play in midfield. Juventus had flashes after the hour mark, but Rafael Leao’s attempted lob from halfway sailed just over the bar.
Both teams made some notable substitutions, with Tudor introducing Vlahovic and Openda, while Allegri brought on Leao, Nkunku, and Loftus-Cheek.
The game lost momentum in the closing stages, with Tudor attempting to switch things up by bringing on Filip Kostic for Daniele Rugani. However, it was too little too late, and Allegri’s Milan dug in to pick up a clean sheet and a valuable point on the road.
In the end, Milan will be disappointed with Pulisic’s missed penalty, which could have given them the win against one of their fiercest rivals. Despite the draw, both teams will be pleased with their defensive performances, and the point earned will be valuable in the long run.
