TURIN, Italy (Reuters) -AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic missed a penalty and his side had to settle for a 0-0 draw away to Juventus on Sunday, denying the visitors a return to the top of the Serie A standings.
After Napoli and AS Roma, along with Inter Milan, all registered wins over the weekend, the pressure was on Milan and Juventus to keep pace at the top, leading to a cagey game where Pulisic’s error proved costly.
Milan have 13 points, third in the standings and two points behind leaders Napoli and Roma, while Juventus are a further point back in fifth, behind Inter on goal difference.
Massimiliano Allegri was back at Juventus as an adversary, taking on the club where he had won five league titles in his eight seasons in Turin, but there was no happy return for the Milan manager.
“I didn’t expect anything different, knowing coach Allegri I knew it would be a blocked and balanced game,” Juventus midfielder Andrea Cambiaso told DAZN.
The first half brought little in the way of entertainment, but both sides did manage to create scoring opportunities, with the hosts let down by struggling striker Jonathan David.
The Canadian scored on his Juventus debut in their opening-day win over Parma but has since struggled to impress and when Weston McKennie flicked on Francisco Conceicao’s cross in front of goal, David failed to read his teammate’s intentions.
David then had the goal at his mercy when set up by Pierre Kalulu in the box but lost his footing at the crucial moment while for Milan, Santiago Gimenez continued his Serie A scoring drought.
Gimenez went on a mazy run into the area but his finish failed to trouble keeper Michele Di Gregorio and after Strahinja Pavlovic put in a great cross, the Mexican sent his header wide of the target.
A corner shortly after the break gave Juventus a gilt-edged chance to take the lead but Milan keeper Mike Maignan spread himself to keep out Federico Gatti’s shot from point-blank range.
PULISIC FAILS TO PUNISH JUVE
Minutes later, Milan had their golden opportunity when Lloyd Kelly bundled over Gimenez in the box but Pulisic blazed his penalty over the bar.
Allegri sent on Rafael Leao with less than half an hour remaining, and the Portuguese winger tried an audacious chipped shot from the halfway line which sailed over the bar.
“We could have done much more, winning here would have been very important,” Milan’s Adrien Rabiot, playing against his former club, said.
“But we have to continue to work as we are doing, the important thing is not to have conceded a goal, but we have regrets tonight.”
In added time, Leao was sent through by Luka Modric’s defence-splitting pass but his shot was too close to the keeper and unbeaten Juventus survived to earn their fifth successive draw in all competitions.
“There is enthusiasm, more than last season, but five consecutive draws are a lot,” Cambiaso added, after his side left the pitch to jeers and whistles from the home fans.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Toby Davis)
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