Juventus vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
Juventus defeated AC Milan 1-0 at Juventus Stadium on Saturday thanks to Paulo Dybala's 65th-minute strike.
The score does not represent how dominant the Bianconeri were over 90 minutes on their home field. Juve controlled the possession battle and created plenty more opportunities in the final third than the visitors.
Dybala's breakthrough came 25 minutes before the final whistle as he struck a beautiful shot into the right side of the net off a cross from substitute Alex Sandro.
The victory boosted Juventus into sixth place in the Serie A table heading into their UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday. The defeat pushed AC Milan down to seventh in the league.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from Juventus' victory over AC Milan.
Winner: Paulo Dybala
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Paulo Dybala was rewarded for his active play in the final third with a goal in the 65th minute.
Dybala was all over the area in front of the AC Milan goal in the first half and he continued that trend into the second stanza.
It took a moment of brilliance for the Argentinian to put Juve into the lead as he benefited from a nice pass sent in from Alex Sandro in the buildup to his strike.
Dybala's goal not only continued Juve's rise up the table after their awful start, but it also handed the Bianconeri a massive momentum boost heading into the showdown with Manchester City in Turin on Wednesday.
Loser: Carlos Bacca
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Carlos Bacca was nowhere to be seen in the AC Milan attack on Saturday as he suffered from the Rossoneri's poor passing game in midfield.
Due to the dreadful play of the AC Milan midfield and Bacca's lack of movement in the final third, he recorded the lowest number of touches by any AC Milan starter with 29, per WhoScored.
On top of his ugly individual performance, the AC Milan attack combined for two shots on goal, both of which failed to significantly test Gianluigi Buffon.
Due to the putrid overall showing from the Rossoneri, they suffered their first defeat since October 21 and fell behind Juve in the table.
Winner: Gianluigi Donnarumma
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The only player in the AC Milan squad who turned in anything close to a decent 90-minute shift on Saturday was 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Donnarumma ended the contest with four saves, and he was not at fault for the Juventus goal since Dybala's strike blew right past him from close range.
The young netminder made a few critical denials to keep AC Milan in the match, including a leaping one in the 41st minute after Dybala's shot deflected off Giacomo Bonaventura.
Just four minutes before the lone tally of the match, Donnarumma made his best save of the game as he stopped Paul Pogba, who was given acres of space to shoot from 35 yards out.
Despite the all-around terrible showing in Turin, the Rossoneri should be impressed with the skills displayed by Donnarumma in a big game.
Winner/Loser: Hernanes
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Hernanes was sacrificed at the start of the second half as Massimiliano Allegri opted to switch Juve into a 3-5-2 formation.
The change was not made because of a poor outing on the field as the Brazilian was one of the brightest players in black and white in the first 45 minutes.
The former Inter and Lazio man was at his best during the final stages of the first half as he combined well with Paul Pogba in an attempt to open up the Milan defense.
Given his play on Saturday, it would not come as a surprise if the rested Brazilian sees significant time against Manchester City.
Winner: Paul Pogba
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Dybala may earn all the headlines for being the scorer in the win over AC Milan, but Pogba deserves a massive amount of credit for his efforts at home on Saturday as well.
From the first whistle on, Pogba was noticeable on the pitch whether it be in attack or in possession against an out-of-sorts AC Milan midfield.
Pogba also helped set up Dybala's strike as he played a beautiful ball out to Alex Sandro on the left wing before the defender found Dybala in the box.
If he finds the same amount of space on Wednesday against Manchester City, Pogba has the potential to play the best game of anyone on the continental level this week.
Winner: Alex Sandro
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Alex Sandro impressed as an early substitute in place of Patrice Evra on the left side of the pitch.
The Brazilian defender turned in a decent first half after coming on in the 28th minute, but he didn't begin to shine until the second half.
Alex Sandro moved further up the pitch at the beginning of the second half as Allegri made a tactical change that looked to open up the AC Milan defense.
The defender's biggest contribution came in the 65th minute as he dished out one of his four key passes, per WhoScored, to the boot of Dybala.
If Evra's injury turns out to be a long-term one, Juve should have plenty of trust in Alex Sandro to shine as the Frenchman's replacement.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
