Locatelli’s Deflected Shot Secures Juventus Win Over 10-Man Milan

In a highly-anticipated Serie A clash, Manuel Locatelli showed no mercy against his former club, propelling Juventus to a 1-0 victory against 10-man AC Milan.

AC Milan faced a slew of injuries and suspensions, with third-choice goalkeeper Antonio Mirante and Alessandro Florenzi, a makeshift left full-back, in the lineup. Juventus, meanwhile, was without Danilo, and Federico Chiesa was on the bench, according to reports from Xinhua.

The match started with intensity as Olivier Giroud’s acrobatic attempt missed the target, and Wojciech Szczesny denied the Frenchman’s shot. On the other end, Filip Kostic’s effort went wide, and Adrien Rabiot’s strike hit the post.

Milan’s troubles deepened in the 40th minute when Malick Thiaw fouled Moise Kean, resulting in a red card for being the last defender. Coach Stefano Pioli substituted striker Christian Pulisic with Pierre Kalulu for defensive reinforcement.

Juventus took the lead in the 63rd minute with a stroke of luck as former Milan player Locatelli fired a shot from outside the box that deflected off Rade Krunic and eluded the helpless Mirante.

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The Bianconeri had opportunities to extend their lead, but Mirante made an outstanding save to deny Dusan Vlahovic’s powerful shot. The 40-year-old goalkeeper delivered a double-save to prevent Milan from conceding more goals.

With this defeat, Pioli’s team slipped to second place with 21 points, trailing Inter Milan by one point. Juventus maintained its third position, just one point behind AC Milan.

In other matches, Roma secured a 1-0 victory over Monza with Stephan El Shaarawy’s last-minute winner, but head coach Jose Mourinho was sent off for a sarcastic gesture in stoppage time.

On Sunday, Atalanta defeated Genoa 2-0, Bologna triumphed 2-1 over Frosinone, and Salernitana and Cagliari shared a 2-2 draw.