Saturday’s mouth-watering Serie A encounter between Milan and Juventus failed to live up to the billing. In one of the most uneventful games of the season, the two Italian titans shared the spoils in a tepid 0-0 stalemate at Stadio San Siro.
Though a point against Thiago Motta’s unbeaten charges is no small feat by any stretch of the imagination, a victory felt imperative for Milan before the kick-off. Paulo Fonseca’s charges spent November’s international break outside the European spots following a goal-glutted 3-3 draw against relegation-threatened Cagliari.
However, the latest iteration of this famous fixture was anything but action-packed. With both teams seemingly preoccupied with preventing the other from getting on the scoresheet, fans at San Siro witnessed a snoozefest. But that’s become a common theme in recent matches between Milan and Juventus.
The last four Serie A encounters between these teams on this ground have seen one or both sides fail to score in matches garnering under 2.5 goals. Yet, Saturday’s fixture took the term ‘boring’ to a brand-new level. Goalkeepers only had to intervene three times, wiih Milan generating an embarrassing 0.29 xG.
It’s now been two Serie A home outings without scoring for Milan, who lost further ground on temporary leaders Atalanta. Without further ado, let’s look at our player ratings.
Milan (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan – 6.5
Barring a comfortable save to thwart Khephren Thuram’s weak long-range attempt, the French shot-stopper had a field day.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
Not many Serie A full-backs can cope with Francisco Conceicao’s pace and tricky feet, but the Milan superstar is in a league of his own.
Malick Thiaw – 7
The German center-back dealt with Teun Koopmeiners with relative ease, plus he made a crucial sliding tackle to block Andrea Cambiaso’s close-range shot.
Matteo Gabbia -7
Like his defensive partner, the homegrown Milan star enjoyed a spotless evening, pulling off numerous no-nonsense clearances to avert the danger.
Emerson Royal – 6
Despite being repeatedly beaten by Kenan Yildiz, the Brazilian right-back got away unpunished and nearly put Milan in front with an awkward header on the stroke of halftime.
Youssouf Fofana – 6
Unafraid to get his hands dirty, the French midfielder embraced the role of a ‘destructor,’ utterly neglecting his creative duties.
Tijjani Reijnders – 5.5
Milan desperately needed a spark in the engine room, but their talismanic ace let them down, struggling to make any meaningful impact on the game.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6.5
Back to his favorite No.10 role, the ex-Chelsea star worked hard to link up play and create opportunities, but his influence waned as the match progressed.
Yunus Musah – 6
Invisible and ineffective in attack, the USMNT utility man at least displayed a commendable work ethic to help Milan fend off Juventus’ attacks.
Rafael Leao – 6.5
It felt like he underestimated the significance of this fixture, often showboating with no end product.
Alvaro Morata – 5.5
Fonseca must explain to the Spanish striker that he needs to focus more on his performance than complaining about every decision by the referee.
Substitutes
Christian Pulisic – 5.5
Davide Calabria – N/A
Samuel Chukwueze – N/A
Stahinja Pavlovic – N/A
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |