Milan brushed Juventus aside with a comprehensive 3-0 victory at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday night to boost their hopes of securing a top-four finish in Serie A. Seeking revenge for a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture, the Rossoneri utterly outclassed the dethroned champions on their own playground.
Champions League football was at stake, with nothing to separate the teams ahead of the kick-off. Leveled on points and with everything to play for in Turin, Juventus and Milan were in desperate need of all three points in this clash of titans.
It’s been over ten years since the Rossoneri last tasted Serie A win at the Allianz Stadium. However, a decade of suffering has finally paid off as Stefano Pioli’s men outperformed arch-rivals in one of the most crucial encounters in recent years.
If there was a question mark above Pioli’s head before the game, Milan’s display in Turin put it beyond any reasonable doubt. The Mister demanded respect, and following the visitors’ exceptional showing at one of the most intimidating away venues in Italy, he has well deserved it.
It is safe to say that Pioli has proved all doubters wrong, silencing the critics in a most remarkable fashion.
For the first time since mid-March, the Italian tactician opted to field Brahim Diaz from the first minute. Little did anyone know that it will turn out to be perhaps a season-defining decision.
The Spanish forward broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a sublime finish from inside the box to pave the way for Milan’s impressive success.
Diaz was last on the scoresheet against Fiorentina on February 21, but he could not have picked a better time to add a third to his season tally. With that strike, the 21-year-old became the youngster Milan player to find the net against Juventus in Turin since Alexandre Pato in 2008.
In the post-match interview, Pioli explained his decision to reintegrate Diaz into his starting eleven.
“We always try to prepare a strategy and we chose the right players to put it into practice. Today we decided to use two “trequartisti.” But it was the team spirit that made the difference,” he said.
“We believed in it, we were solid, we played with quality and dedication. It was a difficult game and a deserved victory. But there’s going to be another difficult one in three days.
“We are happy for our supporters: This morning, they really touched us. Now we need to think about the next game.”
Pioli made another game-changing decision when he withdrew Zlatan Ibrahimovic in favor of Ante Rebic, who went on to score a screamer and put clear daylight between the sides.
Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori hammered home a powerful header to put the match beyond any doubt and seal Milan’s first away Serie A triumph at Juventus since March 2011.
The Rossoneri have made a quantum leap in their pursuit of a coveted top-four finish as they now harbor a three-point lead on fifth-placed Juve. With three league fixtures left to go, Milan are now masters of their destiny.
Though Pioli’s men have had ups and downs this season, they have undoubtedly exceeded expectations. The 55-year-old tactician commented on Milan’s preparations for their trip to Turin.
“We put much spirit, sacrifice, cooperation. We were the best at this for a long time, then we started to get tired mentally. Plus, this is a young team. When we started to decline in those aspects, we left something on the way, we paid much.
“We knew we needed a different kind of performance tonight, one made of spirit, cohesion, confidence. And physique, as well: We won many duels, tackles, we did what a great team is supposed to do.
“We watched the Champions League semi-finals and I was impressed by how Manchester City and Chelsea play when they don’t have the ball and the pace they keep. I told that to my players. When you put everything together, you get games like this.
“But I was not inspired by Guardiola, as he plays without true strikers.“