AC Milan 0-1 Juventus: Manuel Locatelli returns to haunt former club at San Siro as Malick Thiaw sees red for Rossoneri

A deflected Manuel Locatelli strike was the difference as Juventus beat 10-man AC Milan 1-0 at San Siro on Sunday.

The former Milan player struck on the hour-mark to earn Juventus a huge three points.

Milan, who could have returned to the top of the Serie A table with a win, played over half the game with 10 players after Malick Thiaw was sent off in the 40th minute.

The defender was the last man and hauled down Moise Kean as he broke through on goal, consequently costing his side.

Three points for Juventus keep them within touching distance of second-place Milan and leaders Inter Milan, who are two points ahead of Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

When Milan had a full team on the pitch, they controlled large parts of the game and came closest to finding an opener.

Wojciech Szczesny made a huge save to deny former Arsenal team-mate Olivier Giroud from breaking the deadlock. The Frenchman received the ball with his back to goal and manoeuvred his body to work a low strike, which Szczesny reacted brilliantly to, tipping the ball around the post.

With five minutes remaining in the first half, Thiaw was sent off when he pulled Kean to the floor as the forward looked to break through on goal.

Minutes later, Juventus came within inches of taking the lead when Kean stabbed a close-range effort wide at the back post, following a pinpoint delivery from Adrien Rabiot.

As the momentum began to shift in Juventus’ favour, Locatelli pulled the trigger from 30 yards out and his shot took a harsh deflection off substitute Rade Krunic before beating Antonio Mirante.

Milan struggled to get back into the match with one fewer player, and it was Juventus pushing for a second late on.

Milan’s third-choice goalkeeper, 40-year-old Mirante, put in a performance to be proud of on his first start in two years and made some crucial saves towards the end of the game to keep the deficit to one.

He kept Dusan Vlahovic out when he tipped the striker’s powerful shot over the bar, and then made a big double save, keeping out Andrea Cambiaso from long-range and then Vlahovic’s follow-up.

But his impressive saves wouldn’t make a difference as Milan failed to hit back and Juventus sealed all three points.

It can’t be for certain that Milan would have won all three points had Thiaw not been sent off, but they looked far more convincing with 11 players on the pitch, as you’d expect.

Rafael Leao was causing all sorts of problems and in general, the hosts had much more joy in the first half. They even looked better for a short time following the red card, but at around the 55-minute mark they started to tire, and not long after Locatelli’s strike changed the game.

Following the opener, they struggled to create anything going forward and scuppered the chance to regain control of the Serie A table as Inter keep their spot at the summit.

The midfielder came back to haunt his old side and proved to be the difference in a tight second half. The shot for his goal took the cruellest of defections before finding the back of the net, but if you don’t shoot you don’t score.

With Milan down a man, Locatelli saw the opportunity for Juve and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to help the visitors earn what could be a huge three points in their title bid.

MILAN: Mirante 7, Calabria 7, Thiaw 5, Tomori 7, Florenzi 6, Musah 6, Adli 7, Reijnders 6, Pulisic 6, Giroud 6, Leao 7

Subs: Kalulu 6, Kjaer 6, Krunic 6, Jovic 6, Romero 6

JUVENTUS: Szczesny 7, Gatti 6, Bremer 7, Rugani 7, Weah 7, McKennie 7, Locatelli 8, Rabiot 7, Kostic 7, Milik 6, Kean 6

Subs: Huijsen 6, Cambiaso 6, Miretti N/A, Chiesa 6, Vlahovic 6

14’ – HUGE SAVE FROM SZCZESNY! Leao causes Gatti all sorts of problems as he beats the defender twice before delivering a cross for Giroud, who takes the ball down with his back to goal before firing low toward the back post. His brilliant shot is excellently tipped around the post by former Arsenal team-mate Wojciech Szczesny.

40’ – MILAN RED CARD! Thiaw is sent off for a last-man foul on Kean, who would have been through on goal!

44’ – HUGE JUVENTUS CHANCE! Rabiot fizzes in a superb ball to Kean at the back post and he stabs the ball towards goal from close range but his effort is wide! That’s the best chance of the game, by far.

63’ – GOAL!! MILAN 0-1 JUVENTUS (LOCATELLI): The former Milan man puts Juventus in the lead! His 30-yard strike takes a huge deflection off Krunic and beats Mirante. A big celebration from Locatelli against his old club!

85’ – HUGE SAVE FROM MIRANTE! The 40-year-old shows great reflexes to tip Vlahovic’s powerful strike from the edge of the box over the bar.

90’+2 – FANTASTIC DOUBLE SAVE FROM MIRANTE! He saves Cambiaso’s effort from outside the box before denying Vlahovic’s close-range follow-up!