Serie A Week 14 - 1/12/07 (19.30 UK)
Milan 0 - 0 Juventus
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only the frame of the goal and some fantastic goalkeeping ensured the big game Milan-Juventus ended in a stalemate.
These two sides dominated Serie A in the 1990s, but this was a head-to-head battle to stay in the Scudetto race, especially for a Milan outfit that had not won a single domestic game at San Siro this season. Ronaldo, Marek Jankulovski, Mauro Camoranesi and Zdenek Grygera were sidelined and Claudio Ranieri surprisingly chose to drop Alessandro Del Piero.
It was immediately a very aggressive and fast-paced game. Vincenzo Iaquinta chested down the ball for David Trezeguet to drill wide, but the move was stopped for an incorrect offside flag.
Trezeguet went even closer on 11 minutes, as Cristiano Zanetti won back the ball in midfield and placed the searching pass over the defence for the Frenchman's volley to smack against the base of the near post.
Gigi Buffon slapped a corner kick off Kakha Kaladze's head at the back post, then Clarence Seedorf toe-poked the ball inches past the upright. Nelson Dida smothered a Zanetti volley and Kaladze required a perfectly-timed intervention to prevent Iaquinta going clear on goal.
Alberto Gilardino was halted for a very tight offside flag and Nicola Legrottaglie was booked for stopping a Kaka counter. Buffon got down well to block an Andrea Pirlo snapshot that bounced just in front of the goalkeeper.
Cristian Molinaro did extremely well to take Pirlo's long pass off Kaka's feet in the D, then Pavel Nedved cut back past Kaladze with a dummy and slipped as he pulled the trigger from 10 yards. Alessandro Nesta had penalty appeals for a Jonathan Zebina embrace, but Trezeguet's first-time pass set Nedved free and Serginho nodded out for a corner before Iaquinta could pounce.
Straight after the restart Juventus had perhaps their best chance so far. Hasan Salihamidzic skipped past Serginho with some wonderful footwork, his fierce rising strike bringing a brilliant one-handed save out of Dida. The move continued and Nedved's follow-up was charged down.
Moments later Buffon was also called into a fantastic reaction save with his shin from Kaka's volley. Gilardino put the loose ball into the net, but he was flagged offside.
Gilardino was furious when he just failed to get on the end of Kaka's cross, as he felt he was held back by Legrottaglie as the two came sliding in to the six-yard box.
Dida got down well to capture a touched-on Iaquinta free kick, while Buffon had difficulty spilling a Pirlo set-piece and grabbing it at the second attempt after it had looped into the air. Molinaro exchanged passes with Nedved, but the taut cross flashed across the face of goal with Iaquinta and Trezeguet unable to get the final touch.
Carlo Ancelotti went for experience, introducing Pippo Inzaghi and Paolo Maldini for Gilardino and the disappointing Serginho. Zebina slipped and almost left Kaka clear on goal before Legrottaglie cleaned up.
Kaka turned between three defenders and had his shot charged down by Legrottaglie. Inzaghi showed he can still ride the offside flag as his powerful effort was parried by Buffon at point-blank range.
Ranieri also made a double substitution with Del Piero and Marco Marchionni on for Salihamidzic and Iaquinta. Nesta intercepted a pass just before Del Piero could bury it, then veteran Maldini skipped between two defenders for Seedorf's cross-shot.
Maldini was almost the unlikely match-winner in the final minute, his strike whistling over the bar from the edge of the box.
In stoppages Massimo Ambrosini rolled a ball across the box for Inzaghi, but Buffon stood his ground and managed to use his legs to shield the goal.
A minute later it was Legrottaglie's turn to charge down a Kaka curler from the edge of the penalty area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milan: Dida; Oddo (Bonera 78), Nesta, Kaladze, Serginho (Maldini 63); Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf, Kaka; Gilardino (Inzaghi 63)
Juventus: Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic (Marchionni 71), Nocerino, Zanetti; Nedved (Palladino 81); Trezeguet, Iaquinta (Del Piero 71)
Ref: Morganti
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/mil-juv.html
