On Sunday night, two of the greatest clubs in Italian football will write yet another chapter in their storied rivalry at arguably the most iconic theatre in Calcio. Thus, when Milan host Juventus at the San Siro Stadium, the meeting goes well beyond the calculations related to the current campaign.
If Juventus vs Inter is the Derby d’Italia, then perhaps the battle between the Rossoneri and the Bianconeri is Italy’s answer for El Clasico, as it features two giants who have fought for domestic domination (and even European glory at times) on endless occasions.
Therefore, we’re ought to pay tribute to the rivalry between the Devil and the Old Lady by recalling the the five most memorable meetings between them in Milano during the last decade.
5- Milan 0-2 Juventus (2018/19)
The summer of 2018 was surely an exciting one for the Bianconeri faithful. After all, the mighty Cristiano Ronaldo had made his landing in Turin.
Unfortunately for Gonzalo Higuain, he turned out to be the sacrificial lamb who paid the price for the Portuguese’s arrival, as the management shifted him towards Milanello on loan.
Therefore, El Pipita was eagerly anticipating the meeting against his parent club in order to make them regret the decision.
However, fate had other plans for the Argentine, who missed a crucial spot kick for Milan and let his frustration get the better of him resulting in his dismissal, while Juventus returned home with three points thanks to goals form Mario Mandzukic and CR7 himself.
4- Milan 1-3 Juventus (2020/21)
Throughout the last decade, the Bianconeri often arrived as the heavy favorites to seal the win at the Giuseppe Meazza.
But the winds of change were beginning to destabilize the Old Lady, as Stefano Pioli’s men entered the clash as the undefeated leaders of the Serie A table after 15 rounds.
And yet, Federico Chiesa took the occasion to announce the emergence of a new star for the black and white fanatics.
The Italian combined brilliantly with Paulo Dybala to score two memorable goals in what was one of the best performances of Andrea Pirlo’s short-lived stint in Turin.
3- Milan 1-0 Juventus (2016/17)
In 2016, the Rossoneri were enduring some of their toughest moments in recent memory, as the world class players who once proudly sported the famous jersey were long gone by now.
But as we mentioned in the previous entry, a big clash at the San Siro can often be the stage that launches a young player to stardom, and Manuel Locatelli was the one to grab the occasion, as his scorcher of a goal was the lone difference between Milan and Juventus that night, making a name for himself at the tender age of 18.
Fast forward to 2022, the Diavolo youth product will now be leading the charge for the Bianconeri in a strange twist of fate.
2- Milan 4-2 Juventus (2019/20)
When football restarted in 2020 following the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, things were anything but usual, and this match lived up to the wacky theme.
Inside an empty San Siro, Juventus were en route towards a comfortable victory after doubling their lead through a wonderful solo effort from Adrien Rabiot (yes, you read that right), but a penalty kick instigated an unlikely comeback from Milan.
Pioli’s men turned the result upside down with three goals in the space of five mins before consolidating the unforgettable win with a fourth strike.
1- Milan 1-1 Juventus (2011/12)
While the final result might not suggest it, nothing on the list can beat the craziness and the controversy that ensued on that day, at a time when the two giants went toe-to-toe in a crucial Scudetto battle.
Both clubs scored grabbed goal and both had one disallowed, but the shadow goal of Sulley Muntari remains one the most famous incidents in Italian football – just ask former Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani is probably still livid until this very day.
While the Ghanaeian’s strike clearly passed the goal-line and should have doubled the the hosts’ lead, the referee couldn’t spot it, thinking that Gianluigi Buffon had in fact succeeded in saving the day.
In the second half, Alessandro Matri grabbed the equalizer for the visitors who snatched a vital point in a tight title race, and went on lift the Scudetto title which turned out to be the cornerstone of the longest winning dynasty in the history of Italian football.