AC Milan vs. Juventus: Score and Reaction to 2016 Serie A Match

A second-half screamer from teenage sensation Manuel Locatelli led AC Milan to a 1-0 victory over Serie A rival Juventus at the San Siro on Saturday.

The match didn't feature a ton of attacking opportunities for either side, as the clubs combined to put just five shots on target. Most of the play was focused in midfield, featuring plenty of physical battles—as is customary in head-to-head meetings between the Italian giants.

In the end, one memorable moment for Locatelli, whose individual stock seemingly rises with each passing appearance, was all that separated the sides.

Milan manager Vincenzo Montella stressed the importance of not trying to do too much when facing a Bianconeri squad that has showcased strong form to move five points clear atop the table through eight matches heading into Saturday's clash, as Juventus' official website noted.

"It'll be a match full of emotion, but we can't let ourselves lose focus," he said. "Juventus are a tough outfit and we want to give the best possible account of ourselves, but in order to do so, we'll need to stay humble, be brave and dig deep while keeping concentration high at all times."

The message seemed to resonate with the Rossoneri, who played a calm and composed opening 30 minutes to keep the dangerous Juventus attack at bay. In fact, neither side generated much attacking pressure during that span, as avoiding mistakes took precedence early.

Juventus appeared to break the deadlock in the 36th minute. A hopeful free kick by Miralem Pjanic missed its intended targets in the box but managed to beat Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was caught flat-footed.

However, after a lengthy discussion between referee Nicola Rizzoli and his assistant, the play was deemed offside. Medhi Benatia appeared to have been a half-step ahead of the defense at the time of the kick, but he didn't make an attempt to touch the ball as it sailed over his head.

Meanwhile, replays showed Leonardo Bonucci, who did attempt to make a touch, was onside. Andres Cordero of beIN Sports summed up the controversial decision:

The call was magnified by the fact it was the only key moment of action in a nondescript opening 45 minutes, though Milan created something from nothing to get onto the scoreboard in the 65th minute.

Suso dribbled out of trouble in the corner and showed nice vision to deliver a quick through ball into the path of Locatelli. The 18-year-old rising star took care of the rest, attacking the box and hitting a laser-guided missile past Gianluigi Buffon, off the crossbar and into the corner.

Writer David Amoyal commented on the moment of brilliance from the Italian youth international:

OptaPaolo provided further details about the strong start to Locatelli's Serie A career:

Juventus tried to pick up the pace after the goal. The Bianconeri didn't have the necessary energy or creativity to cause problems for the Milan back line, however. That was likely in large part due to the squad's draining 1-0 win over Lyon in a midweek UEFA Champions League game.

Sami Khedira had one last chance to deliver an equalizer, but Donnarumma came up with a fingertip save just before the final whistle to secure all three points for the hosts.

Juve and the club's supporters will wonder how differently the game would have played out if the disallowed goal in the first half had stood. The decision changed the complexion of the match.

OptaPaolo passed along another disappointing note for the losing side:

Looking ahead, a busy stretch of play for Juventus will continue with a league match against Sampdoria on Wednesday, marking the start of four fixtures, including a Champions League encounter with Lyon on Nov. 2, in a 16-day span for the Vecchia Signora.

Milan has an even quicker turnaround to worry about, as the club is scheduled to face Genoa on Tuesday. While it's too early to make definitive statements about the direction of the season, the early returns have been positive for a side that failed to finish above seventh in each of the last three terms.

Post-Match Reaction

A.C. Milan's official website passed along the emotional comments from Locatelli about a goal it sounds like he'll remember forever:

"

I still can't believe it. I will surely cry when I'll see my parents later. I can't wait to watch my goal on TV. Scoring to Buffon is something unbelievable. I still don't realize what I've done. Celebration? I am like this, a spontaneous person. [Italian national team head coach Giampiero] Ventura on the stands? I am not thinking about the senior national team. I have only AC Milan and the Under-19 in mind.

"

Matt Santangelo of Italian Football Daily noted the Milan boss didn't want to go overboard about a single victory, though it was an important one.

"Our season starts now and so our most important game is our upcoming one against Genoa," Montella said. "I got emotional when I saw my players celebrate under the Curva Sud, it reminded me of when I was young. Starting tomorrow, we must prepare for our next game."

On the opposite side, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri called for the team to leave the result in the past and quickly refocus with more key matches on the horizon, according to the club's official website.

"We're sorry to leave Milan with a defeat but we mustn't let it affect us—we have to get our heads straight down and start preparing for the next game," he said.