Abbiati; Abate, Bonera, Rami, Emanuelson; De Jong, Montolivo; Taarabt, Poli, Kaka; Pazzini.
Milan and Juventus exchanged possession early on in the match. Both sides had a few shots on target but neither Abbiati or Buffon were truly tested. Milan's first opportunity occurred in the 7th minute when they counter attacked but Taarabt's shot took a few deflection's and the chance was squandered. Milan kept the tempo going with a nice display of ball movement around the 18 yard box. Again, the back line for Juventus was able to eliminate any chance of getting a goal.
In the 25th minute, Milan applied pressure as Pazzini received a long ball from Montolivo, taking the ball by himself to the box. A few dummy layoffs created two scoring chances for Kaka. The first shot was saved by Buffon and the rebound shot was denied thanks to Bonucci, who had the far post covered. Milan outplayed Juventus throughout the first half despite the inability to cash in on a handful of legitimate scoring chances.
With the blink of an eye, the draw was broken. In the 44th minute, Fernando Llorente scored for Juventus. Marchisio corralled the ball and dished it off to an attacking Tevez, who then laid it off immediately to Lichtsteiner. The Swiss international passed the ball across the 6 yard box and the Spaniard didn't spoil the chance. Milan trailed Juventus 1-0 at the break despite controlling more possession and having more shots on net.
The second half was much the like the first for Milan. Taarabt maintained his recent run of form as he had a wonderful cross into the box that was just out of the reach of Pazzini. Seconds later, Juventus lost control of the ball and Kaka attacked, crossing the ball into the box for Poli, who botched yet another chance for Milan to equalize. On the attempt, Poli received a knock and was carried off. Saponara came on for the injured Poli, which was the first of Seedorf's three available substitutions. In the 68th minute, Carlos Tevez scored from far out. A screamer that Abbiati couldn't handle. Boom. The lead was doubled for the away side and life was sucked out of Milan like a leech.
Honda would come on for Montolivo in the 70th minute, who played extremely well. The former captain was involved heavily in counter attacking plays and played with confidence. Another solid performer was subbed out as Taarabt was taken off for Robinho. Adel Taarabt continued his excellent form with yet another quality performance. Adjusting to Italian football has been a breeze for the Moroccan.
After Tevez scored that magnificent goal, the wind was taken right out of Milan's sail. The pressure settled down and momentum shifted heavily in favor of Juventus who had several chances to add on. Pirlo and Pogba would each hit the post later on. Robinho shanked a sitter off the top bar, which was appropriate as it was an unlucky day for Seedorf's side. Milan would lose 2-0 to Juventus.
Milan played a better match than Juventus and it was quite clear. Take the scoreline out of the equation. Milan outplayed Juventus and really brought it to Conte's boys for most of the match. Keyword being "most." They played a solid 60-70 minutes again. If matches were 70 minutes, Milan would most likely be closer to the top 6 of the table but of course, they play 90 minutes in this football.
This side, led by Seedorf, is quite the opposite from Allegri's Milan. Under Allegri, Milan collected points in the dying minutes of several matches while Seedorf's squad plays more consistent but appears to fall apart late into matches. Many believe the side isn't at full fitness. Players look gassed and performance tends to tail off. This has been the trend in almost every match under Clarence Seedorf. I do believe that this fitness issue will be resolved in the next few weeks.
Hold the phone. This post won't end in negativity. The club deserves praise after playing extremely well versus the top club in Italy. Even with Balotelli being injured and unable to play, Milan stayed upbeat and positive. Pazzini, in case you didn't recognize him with his mask on, played in place of the first-team striker and he hit the ground running. Having a player of his caliber on the bench is a luxury. Adel Taarabt continues to prove me wrong as he has become a regular in the starting eleven. Rami was stout once again in the back. Montolivo, who has been picked apart this season for under performing in his CDM role, looked rejuvenated. The squad has improved each week under Seedorf and that's all you can ask for. Milan has performed their best versus Atletico Madrid and Juventus in recent weeks. Two very good sides. Milan is trending upward. Be patient fellow Milanisti. Milan are on the rise.
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