Juventus vs. Milan: Victory Highlights Strength and Depth of Bianconeri Squad

Despite starting the game in ninth place, a Milan visit to Juventus Stadium remains one of Italian football’s biggest games. Their latest trip came on Saturday night, with the reigning champions looking to extend their lead at the top of Serie A, while the Rossoneri hoped to build on last week’s win over Parma.

Pippo Inzaghi brought two new signings into the Milan defence, handing debuts to Luca Antonelli and Gabriel Paletta, yet their introductions only added more problems to the struggling back line. The match was just 14 minutes old when a pass from Alvaro Morata released Carlos Tevez in behind them.

Cristian Zaccardo failed to step up, and the assistant referee gave the Argentinian the benefit of the doubt in a marginal offside call. One on one with Diego Lopez, Tevez made no mistake and found the back of the net with ease, notching his 14th league goal of the season.

"

Another of Tevez and his offside/notoffside RT @TransfersCalcio: @DovSchiavone this? pic.twitter.com/xGCS8ZKExe

— Dov Schiavone (@DovSchiavone) February 7, 2015"

Antonelli equalised from Alessio Cerci’s corner before Leonardo Bonucci restored Juve’s lead. Morata added a third midway through the second half. The Spaniard deserved his goal; he worked tirelessly to pressure Milan’s defence, with his pace and energy causing them problems throughout the game.

Allegri’s decision to start the 22-year-old ahead of Fernando Llorente was fully vindicated, and the Juventus coach enjoyed a fine win over his former club. On the opposite bench, Inzaghi was once again found wanting, both in terms of his team selection and his tactical decisions.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

Juve’s 4-3-2-1 framework meant they outnumbered the Rossoneri in central areas, and Milan’s midfield simply could not cope with the workload. Despite their activity in the transfer window, the club failed to address their problems there, with Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien clearly unable to compete at this level.

While Milan lack quality, it is an entirely different story for the Turin giants, with the depth available to Allegri once again on show here. Claudio Marchisio may not grab the headlines in the way Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal do, but he was arguably the man of the match for his contribution here.

The Rossoneri failed to contain the 29-year-old, who struck the post with the effort that allowed Morata his tap-in and constantly found time and space to cause problems for Milan. Marchisio is quietly enjoying an excellent season, notching one goal and four assists, while statistics from WhoScored.com show he is averaging 2.6 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game.

"

Claudio Marchisio's superb all-round performance v Milan (via @StatsZone) #JuveNews pic.twitter.com/ARwEf6bUpW

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) February 7, 2015"

Speaking after the game, Marchisio told Sky Italia that “it was not an easy game,” per Football Italia. “This is one down. There are another 16 rounds to go and these are three very important points,” he added, noting that he had been unlucky not to score.

Elsewhere, with Stephan Lichtsteiner suspended, Allegri was also without both Martin Caceres and Romulo, meaning he called upon Simone Padoin to start at right back. The midfielder has become increasingly versatile this season, starting four games in defence and performing admirably.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

He was excellent once again on Saturday, with WhoScored.com showing he finished the game with two tackles, two interceptions and one clearance. The same source also shows he completed 89.4 per cent of his pass attempts, providing an outlet on the flank and ensuring Keisuke Honda offered little threat for Milan.

Overall, the game simply highlighted the gulf in quality between the two sides, and Juventus registered yet another straightforward victory over the Rossoneri. Winning 3-1, the cushion they now enjoy at the top of the table should allow Allegri to rest his stars ahead of the upcoming Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund.

The impressive displays of Morata, Marchisio and Padoin show that even without them, La Madama possesses the quality to overcome her domestic opponents, and the club will hope to transfer that into European competition.