AC Milan was exposed as an aging team on Sunday as the youth of Juventus ran wild under pouring rain at Turin’s Stadio Olimpico.
Juventus’s comprehensive 4-2 victory over AC Milan kept them within six points of Inter at the top of Serie A, while Milan are now nine points adrift with one game to play before the winter break.
It was not that long ago that Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri was under fire for a poor start to the season. Since losing 2–1 away to Napoli on October 18, the Bianconeri have collected 24 points from nine league games and finished top of their group in the Champions League. By contrast the Special One and Inter, the one team to beat Juventus during that run, have managed only 23 in the same spell and finished second in their Champions League group.
Ranieri has moulded Juventus into a physical, high-tempo outfit who like to press their opponents high up the pitch and Momo Sissoko wasted no time getting stuck into a Milan midfield that lacked bite in the absence of the injured Gennaro Gattuso and Mathieu Flamini as well as the flair of the injured Kaka.
Milan is really struggling heading into the winter break as they have picked up only four points in their past four games. Without Gattuso shielding them, Milan’s defence was torn to shreds.
On the horizon for Milan is England midfielder David Beckham. He is not exactly an infusion of youth that Milan needs.