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AC Milan pulled off one of the most memorable victories over their arch-rivals Juventus as they humbled the runaway Serie A leaders 4-2 at the San Siro. The home side's fighting spirit after going 0-2 down within 10 minutes of the second half left the Bianconeri stunned as their seven-game winning run came to an abrupt end.
With the clubs opting for a cautious approach in the first 45 minutes, the first half ended in a goalless stalemate. The fixture really came to life in the second half with Adrien Rabiot breaking the deadlock with a superb solo effort in the 47th minute. The Frenchman picked up the ball in his half and ran at the Milan defenders before coolly smashing the ball into the top left corner beyond Donnarumma's reach.
Cristiano Ronaldo got his 26th goal of the season in the 53rd minute after the centre-back duo of Alessio Romagnoli and Simon Kjaer committed a rare mistake, allowing the Portuguese ace to control Cuadrado's long ball and guide it into the back of the net.
VAR intervention yet again proved to be a thorn in Juventus' side, as the penalty awarded to the hosts due to Leonardo Bonucci's handball in the 62nd minute proved to be the turning point of the game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his second penalty in as many games to half the deficit before goals from Franck Kessie, Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic completed AC Milan's comeback.
So, as Juventus suffer their first defeat since February, we take a look at the player ratings from the fixture.
AC Milan Player Ratings against Juventus:
Gianluigi Donnarumma: 6/10
Gianluigi Donnarumma had no chance against Adrien Rabiot's goal and though he could've done more against the second AC Milan goal, he managed to put in a fair shift between the sticks on Tuesday. He made a crucial reflex save in the second half to deny Rugani a goal from a corner and that was the highlight of his performance at the San Siro.
Andrea Conti: 6/10
Andrea Conti linked up well with midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers on the right flank and prioritised moving the ball forward. The defender was aware of Cristiano Ronaldo's presence on the wing and dealt with him fairly enough, although the five-time Ballon d'Or winner did get the better of him on a couple of occasions.
Alessio Romagnoli: 5.5/10
Alessio Romagnoli held his defensive positions well throughout the game and did a good job of keeping Gonzalo Higuain in his pocket. He was the last defender between Rabiot and Donnaruma before the former scored the goal and from a fan's perspective, he could've put in a challenge to prevent the Frenchman from scoring.
He had a rare lapse in judgement with his partner Kjaer when both of them went for the same ball, allowing Ronaldo to capitalise and double Juventus' lead.
Simon Kjaer: 6/10
The only low point in Simon Kjaer's performance on Tuesday was his miscommunication with Romagnoli over the clearance of Cuadrado's long ball that led to Juventus' second goal. The Danish defender was solid throughout the game and was not afraid to put his body in the line of fire, as his block against Danilo's shot saved a certain goal in the first half.
He did a fabulous job of keeping Ronaldo under control and was constantly breathing down his neck, especially in the first 45 minutes.
Theo Hernandez: 6.5/10
Theo Hernandez had another great game for AC Milan as he tirelessly covered the ground on the left flank and produced loads of opportunities in the offence. His cross ultimately led to VAR awarding them the penalty, yielding results from his efforts.
His exploits on the wing completely overshadowed Paqueta, who had to resume defensive duties when Hernandez made runs into the opposition half.
Franck Kessié: 7/10
Franck Kessié usually does not score a lot of goals and prefers to do the dirty work in the middle of the park. On Tuesday, he was a dominant force in the midfield for Milan, tormenting Juventus players with his tough tackling and physicality.
The Ivorian midfielder scored the equalising goal that brought Milan back into the game, after a quick one-two with Ibrahimovic. Defensively, he made some crucial clearances from his box, especially the one where Donnarumma's save from Rugani's header was heading straight into the path of Juventus players.
Ismaël Bennacer: 6.5/10
It may have taken some time for Ismaël Bennacer to get his head into the game, but the Algerian midfielder proved himself in Tuesday's fixture. With Kessie guarding the back four, Bennacer picked picking up the free balls from his half and showed off his distribution with well-weighted passes into the path of the attackers. He ensured that his side kept the ball moving when they had possession.
Alexis Saelemaekers: 6/10
Despite being taken off at the hour mark, Alexis Saelemaekers put in a good shift starting as a wide midfielder. His first touch and ball control was one of the best in the game and he showed finesse with his passing. He was often overpowered by Juventus' midfielders but showed real class with the ball at his feet.
Lucas Paquetá: 5/10
Lucas Paquetá looked out of touch on Tuesday and found it difficult to even get out of his own half despite all his talents and creative abilities. Hernandez at left-back showed much more promise going forward and thus the 22-year-old Brazilian was left with no other choice but to stay back and defend, something he is not comfortable with.
His inability to deal with Juventus players saw him carelessly picking up a yellow card early in the game. He was eventually substituted after 45 minutes.
Ante Rebić: 9/10
Ante Rebic has been in incredible form for AC Milan and continued his purple patch with yet another goal. It was his movement, his ability to complement Ibrahimovic's style in the final third and his commitment to meet incoming crosses that caught everyone's attention on Tuesday.
He tested the Juventus defence on many occasions and was always on the lookout for an opening. It was his intelligent play that earned his side the penalty and going forward, he will be key for AC Milan.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: 8/10
The only indicator of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's age is the loss of his pace and the usual intensity on the pitch. Apart from that, the Swede still continues to score and set up goals when his side needs them the most. He scored his second penalty in as many games on Tuesday and later bagged the assist for Kessie's goal.
He was able to enjoy a good game mainly because of the hard work Rebic put in as the Croatian did all the running around in the final third and made sure the ball finds its way to the big Swede.
Substitutes
Giacomo Bonaventura: 6/10
Giacomo Bonaventura was introduced in the 67th minute in place of Ibrahimovic and had a good 25 minutes on the pitch. He managed to bag an assist for the fourth goal as he selflessly passed the ball onto Rebic who was in a better position to score.
Rafael Leão: 7/10
Rafael Leão had almost an instant impact on the proceedings of the game, as he got involved in two goals in 30 minutes of play, scoring one and playing an important role in the buildup of the second goal. He looked very comfortable on the ball and his energy and pace put pressure on the Juventus defence.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu: 6/10
Hakan Çalhanoğlu came on in the second half in place of Paqueta and proved much more effective than the Brazilian on the left flank, as he got the ball moving with ease. He recovered in time from a knock he picked up in the previous fixture and thus played more conservatively.
Rade Krunic: N/A
Davide Calabria: N/A
Juventus Player Ratings against AC Milan:
Wojciech Szczesny: 5/10
Wojciech Szczesny returned to the squad after sitting out against Torino and found himself taking the ball of out his net four times against AC Milan. He had nothing much to do in the first 45 minutes apart from some routine saves. Early in the game, Ante Rebic gave him a scare as he closed down on a back pass, but he handled himself pretty well.
He was not helped at all by his defenders, especially after they conceded the penalty and left him at the mercy of the Milan strikers, who did not fail in converting their chances. However, the former Arsenal man should've done better against Leao's goal, who beat him from a close angle at the near post.
Danilo: 5/10
Danilo looked like a threat going forward and was unlucky to have a well-taken shot in the 37th minute blocked by Kjaer's brilliant positioning. The Brazilian did not put in a good shift defensively and was easily outmanoeuvred by Alexis Saelemaekers on the left flank and his replacement Leao further exploited his poor marking.
Daniele Rugani: 6/10
Daniele Rugani, who came in to deputise for the suspended Matthijs De Ligt worked hard at the centre of the defence and had a no-nonsense approach in his performance. He came close to score an equalising goal from a corner in the 77th minute but was denied by Donnarumma's insane reflex save. He could've done more in preventing the goals from Leao and Kessie.
Leonardo Bonucci: 5/10
As the most experienced of the Juventus defenders, Leonardo Bonucci was expected to be leading the defence, but he inadvertently ended up doing just the opposite. His error led to the game-changing penalty call, while he failed to offer any resistance to the Milan attackers as they went on to score two goals in the following five minutes.
Juan Cuadrado: 6/10
Juan Cuadrado was the best defender in the Black and White jersey on Tuesday. The Columbian was full of energy on the right-hand side of the pitch and was racing up and down the flank to create chances.
He was involved in the buildup to the opening goal as his clearance fell to Rabiot, who made the most of it. His long ball was well-controlled by Ronaldo for Juventus' second goal. Cuadrado overall had a solid game and even overshadowed Bernardeschi on the right-wing.
Miralem Pjanic: 6/10
Miralem Pjanic, as always, found himself in the thick of the proceedings and was seen controlling the tempo of Juventus' play for the better part of the first half. He produced yet another set of brilliant opportunities from set-pieces as his teammates came very close to scoring from his free-kick and corner deliveries in both halves of the game.
Rodrigo Bentancur: 5.5/10
Rodrigo Bentancur had to spend most of the second half patrolling in front of his defenders as Milan piled on the pressure and it was then that he showed some signs of discomfort. He did not contribute much to the attack but he defended physically at times, had good tussles with Kessie and made a lot of interceptions throughout the game.
Adrien Rabiot: 7/10
Adrien Rabiot single-handedly infused the game with much-needed energy with his incredible solo goal just a couple of minutes into the second half. Even before his stunner, he was itching to go forward and linked well with Pjanic and Bentancur in the middle of the park.
He showed a lot of determination in winning balls back from the opposition and imposed his physicality well, especially against Paqueta in the first half. He has cemented a place in the starting XI with Tuesday's amazing performance.
Federico Bernardeschi: 5/10
Federico Bernardeschi put in yet another disappointing display against AC Milan. Maurizio Sarri continues to have immense faith in him but the winger has consistently failed to justify his inclusion in the starting XI. Apart from a few intricate one-two exchanges with Higuain in the front, he had nothing positive to take away from the game.
Gonzalo Higuain: 6/10
Gonzalo Higuain provided fair cover for the suspended Paulo Dybala with his quick exchanges with the Juventus midfielders and Cristiano Ronaldo. His run to divert Kjaer's attention away from Rabiot was crucial in opening up the space for the former PSG star to score his first league goal for the Old Lady.
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8/10
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his red hot form in Serie A with yet another goal for Juventus. He doubled their lead after finding the space between Romagnoli and Kjaer- who had done an excellent job of marking him throughout the game- to latch onto Cuadrado's long ball and finish the move with finesse rather than power.
He looked very lively in the final third with the ball at his feet and he continued to find space between the well-organised Milan defence with a series of deft flicks and tricks. The Portuguese ace seemed frustrated with the lack of service at times but was overall a constant threat for the opposition.
Substitutes:
Alex Sandro: 3/10
Alex Sandro played only 17 minutes after coming back from an injury layoff. He was at fault for Milan's fourth goal as he cheaply gave away possession close to his own goal to Bonaventura, who laid it off to Rebic to drive home.
Blaise Matuidi: 5/10
By the time Blaise Matuidi was introduced by Sarri, the tide had already turned in the favour of the home side. Despite trying his best, he could not have the desired impact on the game that Sarri might've expected him to have.
Douglas Costa: 5/10
Douglas Costa replaced Higuain and certainly added a new dimension to Juventus' attack with his pace. Apart from that, however, he did not affect the game in any significant way.
Aaron Ramsey: 5/10
Sarri waited too long to bring in fresh pairs of legs to the field and Aaron Ramsey suffered from that. He had his work cut out for him against Kessie and Bennacer in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Simone Muratore: N/A
