AC Milan secured a vital 3-0 win over Juventus in a direct showdown with one of our main rivals for a top-four finish in Serie A this season.
The pressure was on prior to kick-off given what’s at stake in these final handful of games which will determine which sides head to the Champions League next year.
READ MORE: Milan player ratings vs Juventus: Tomori, Diaz excellent in huge win for Rossoneri
Given we hadn’t won in over 10 years in Turin, the odds were certainly stacked against us before the game started as Juventus knew the importance of this encounter too. However, the Rossoneri came out on top and moved up to third place as we took another big step towards a return to Europe’s top table.
Brilliant team performance in critical moment
This was a superb team effort to get the win, as we had to remain disciplined, organised and committed throughout while also having to react positively to adversity with Franck Kessie’s missed penalty and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s injury which forced him off.
Despite all that and spells of pressure from Juventus, we held firm throughout and got our just rewards thanks for moments of pure class from Brahim Diaz and Ante Rebic.
It was a performance to be proud of as a Milan fan, and also a major confidence boost for the players and Stefano Pioli to build on now in these final three games.
Pioli strikes gold with Diaz decision
It was a move that arguably raised some eyebrows given his lack of starts and playing time in recent weeks, but Diaz was given the nod in the starting XI this weekend.
Naturally, it proved to be an excellent decision from Pioli, as the Spaniard broke the deadlock with a wonderful curled effort from just inside the box as he found the back of the net with a peach of a strike.
His celebration with Pioli said it all, and his goal could turn out to be a pivotal turning point in the season.
Ibrahimovic influence key
Although he was kept largely quiet in terms of being a direct threat on goal, the 39-year-old’s leadership, experience and ability to offer a real presence up front made a massive difference.
It’s hoped that the injury that he picked up isn’t serious as we’ll certainly need him in these last three games, but from his pre-match team-talk huddle to the way in which he carries himself on the pitch even if not scoring, it all contributes to us being a better team for it.
Tomori-Kjaer shut out Juve
Fikayo Tomori has had his troubles in recent weeks but the two pillars of our defence ensured that there was no way through for Juventus on Sunday night.
From courageous blocks to winning aerial battles and applying intense pressure on their rivals, the combination between the two worked really well and led us to a very impressive clean sheet.
Three more to go
While we should certainly enjoy this win, the job is not yet done.
Milan face three more games on the road to qualifying for the Champions League, and we have to forget this win on Monday morning and fully focus on the next game with such a short turnaround.
Torino, Cagliari and Atalanta now await us, and it’s absolutely vital that we build on this result and finish the assignment to achieve our objective for this season. That said, for now, the focus should be purely on Torino and ensuring we don’t slip up in midweek and give the others a chance to surpass us.
