AC Milan 0-0 Juventus: Five things we learned – dimension problem as mercato needs become clear

After the controversial loss against Spezia last week, Milan were eager to bounce back with a big win against a Juventus side growing in confidence, but neither side were able to find the net in a dull 0-0 draw.

The game started off well for Stefano Pioli’s men as they were the team on top while Juventus looked satisfied to stay back and try their chances on the counter. However, that didn’t quite work out for them as they managed zero shots on target, for which the Milan defence needs to be praised.

Unfortunately for the Rossoneri, the attacking side of things never really clicked for them and despite having a couple of good opportunities to open the scoring, they failed to do so. With the missed opportunity to collect all three points, Milan are now four points behind Inter who have a game in hand, and the Derby della Madonnina on January 6 looks like the biggest game of the season. Here are five things we learned…

1. Back with a bang

Despite the bitter feeling that Milan had to win the game, there were quite a lot of positives to take from the clash. Davide Calabria started on the right side of the defence after fully recovering from an injury he picked up in late November.

While you’d think the Italian might not be fully fit in his first start in a while, Calabria was actually one of the best on the pitch as he was solid defensively and was involved in some of the more dangerous attacks for his team on the right flank.

It’s great to see Calabria back in the lineup and the way he stood out brings a lot of confidence that he is fully fit and eager for success.

2. Holding up well

After a couple of not so convincing games, Rade Krunic had a solid game against Juventus, playing alongside Tonali in the double pivot. The Bosnian has always shown that he can do the job from a tactical point of view, but technically he was a bit limited going forward.

Meanwhile, Sandro Tonali bullied the Bianconeri’s midfielders and was the best player on the pitch as he continues to improve and stand out. The 21-year-old grows in confidence and imposes himself more and more every week as the future looks bright for Sandro and for Milan who are facing problems with Kessie’s renewal, but the Ivorian already looks like a third choice anyway.

Speaking of which, Bennacer – who returned from the AFCON just a couple of days ago – featured in the second half where he brought a lot of composure in the midfield as he managed to carry the ball with ease and was involved in Milan’s final efforts to grab all three points.