AC Milan, Juventus play out goalless draw in much-awaited derby encounter

The much-awaited Serie A derby match between AC Milan and Juventus ended in a 0-0 draw that did little for either side's league prospects.

AC Milan vs Juventus ended in a 0-0 draw. (Twitter: SerieA_EN)
By Shayne Dias | Jan 24, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

AC Milan and Juventus played out a 0-0 draw in their hotly-anticipated Serie A derby on Sunday (January 23). In the end, this is a result that favours their rival and league leaders Inter Milan.

It was a game that featured plenty of action but nothing in the way of goals. But of the two sides, it is Milan who would be more disappointed to not come away with a win.

The Rossoneri had quite a few chances to go ahead. Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud in particular forced a number of saves from Wojciech Szczesny in the Juventus goal.

The closest the Bianconeri came to scoring was from a Weston McKinnie header courtesy of an Alex Sandro cross. But Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri insisted he was happy with the point.

“It was a good game. We were coming off a lot of head-to-head clashes and a defeat would’ve sent us 10 points behind Milan, so that’d be negative,” Allegri told DAZN.

“We need to be a little calmer and more focused in the final third, as we are hasty and get the final ball wrong. It was a hard-fought game with some strong tackles, it was balanced and a draw is the right result.

“I think we did better in the second half against a good Milan and being at this stage after two head-to-head meetings is good.

“I am glad because the lads are playing more like a team, understanding when to control the ball in defensive and attacking moments. We are getting there.

“The players have improved their self-confidence, because we kept eight clean sheets in the last 12 games and that is a good signal.”

Contrasting tales for Juventus and AC Milan

The result leaves Juventus in fifth, just a point behind fourth-placed Atalanta. However, it also saw AC Milan stay 4 points behind league leaders Inter – who have a game to spare.

Milan manager Stefan Pioli bemoaned their lack of a finishing touch afterwards but did praise the team’s overall showing.

“I think we played the right game for our moment, something was missing in the penalty area. At times we were not very precise and not very decisive in our play, but often it was the pitch that didn’t let us make the last pass or a check. The team were careful and decisive, we left few opportunities to a strong team,” he said.

Another concern for Pioli was the injury suffered by star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The manager confirmed he had some pain in his tendons and hoped he would be fit soon.

“I didn’t see Zlatan, he suffered tendon pain: he blamed the ground because it was too hard. I hope he can recover in the next few days.”