Juventus vs. AC Milan: Score and Reaction from 2015 Serie A Match

Juventus beat AC Milan 1-0 to move into sixth place, six points off the top of Serie A. Paulo Dybala settled things in Turin with a well-taken, second-half strike. The result marks more disappointment for Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic in what's been a particularly tough start to the season.

But these are three welcome points for Juve, whose title defence has resembled an anaemic crawl at the beginning of this campaign.

Sky Sports detailed both starting 11's.

Ex-Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca started up front for Milan. A tireless worker and gifted finisher, Colombia international Bacca has made a relatively slow start to life with the Rossoneri, scoring six times in 13 Serie A appearances, according to WhoScored.com. Further back, 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma continued in goal.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

Former Milan chief, now current Juve boss, Massimiliano Allegri countered with a midfield diamond featuring Brazilian playmaker Hernanes and veteran goal-getter Claudio Marchisio.

Extremely cagey opening exchanges were livened up by winger Alessio Cerci leading a lightning-fast Milan break, and former Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra was struggling to cope with the Italian's pace. Fortunately for the Old Lady, experienced centre-back Giorgio Chiellini was often on hand to turn away Cerci's deliveries from the flanks.

ESPN contributor Mina Rzouki felt Juve's narrow shape was vulnerable to natural width:

FourFourTwo Italian football correspondent Adam Digby was less than impressed with Juve's pedestrian play. He felt an on-loan Chelsea man's absence was having too much of a negative impact on Allegri's side:

When Juve did get on the ball, Hernanes posed a threat. The South American playmaker wasted a shooting chance in the box after fine work from fellow midfielder Paul Pogba.

At the other end, Cerci spurned the freedom of the Juventus penalty area when he made a mess of a header. His initial run into the box was terrific,  and the ex-Torino star was clearly motivated by facing his former Turin enemy.

Football Italia contributor and Fiorentina fan Giancarlo Rinaldi couldn't resist a joke at Atletico Madrid loanee Cerci's expense:

An injury to Evra forced the introduction of Alex Sandro, but Milan couldn't profit from the reshuffle.

Juve almost received some good fortune off a Hernanes shot that took a deflection, but Milan's teenage stopper showed off his impressive reflexes.

Digby summed up the static first-half fare well:

Needing to shake things up, Allegri made a change to both personnel and tactics, according to Football Italia Twitter:

Juve needed greater width and supply from the flanks. Towering centre-forward Mario Mandzukic, a true menace in the air, had become an increasingly isolated figure during the latter stages of the first half.

Controversy surrounded the restart when M'Baye Niang headed across for Bacca and substitute Leonardo Bonucci hauled the striker down in the box. Instead of giving a penalty, the referee decided Niang had committed a foul when jumping for his initial header.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

But Milan still threatened after the break. Slovakian midfielder Juraj Kucka glanced a close-range header wide. He should have scored and would soon be made to rue the miss.

Juve's passing had improved with Bonucci on the pitch. His classy distribution from the back was encouraging more forward runs from midfield.

Juventus made their greater width count when Pogba released Sandro on the left wing. The wing-back's cross was controlled superbly by Dybala on his chest. The Argentinian forward then smashed home a volley on the turn to open the scoring.

BT Sport Football on Twitter provided a highlight of the fine goal:

Pogba grew in confidence after his contribution in the build-up. A clever, scooped pass nearly released Mandzukic, but the target man's touch let him down.

Still, his partnership with Sandro was causing the visitors a host of problems. Digby was suitably impressed:

Kucka lifted a half-volley over for the Rossoneri after more good work from Cerci. Surprisingly, Kucka was soon sacrificed for striker Luiz Adriano.

But his introduction didn't help, even though Cerci forced Gianluigi Buffon, marking the 20th anniversary of his Serie A debut, into a great stop late on in stoppage time.

Post-Match Reaction

Despite his goal, Dybala insisted there's more to come from him, per Football Italia:

The ex-Palermo star certainly has the quality to become a consistent match-winner. Adding more goals in big games like this one is the next step for the 22-year-old.

For now though, Dybala will have to be content with helping his club earn a piece of history in this rivalry, according to OptaPaolo:

Allegri lauded the win as progress for his stuttering side, per the club's official Twitter feed:

By contrast, Mihajlovic lamented his seventh-placed team's overly cautious approach:

The Rossoneri's stifled play was best summed up by their lack of possession, a familiar problem this season:

Milan continue to flounder. There are a lot of new faces in the side but no coherence on the pitch. In particular, the Rossoneri lack a cutting edge up front, despite the investment in Bacca.

As for Juve, Allegri's team is still a shadow of the one that made last season's UEFA Champions League final. Pogba is a gem, but like Milan, there's little quality along the forward line.