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Juventus suffered their first home defeat since March as they succumbed to a 3-0 Serie A loss at home to AC Milan on Sunday.
Goals from Brahim Díaz, Ante Rebic and Fikayo Tomori sealed the win for the visitors.
Despite having more possession than AC Milan, Juventus could not find a way past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Wojciech Szczęsny produced a fine save for Franck Kessié's penalty, but that wasn't enough to inspire his teammates.
AC Milan lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic through a knee injury but will be content to have recorded their first win at the Juventus Stadium since 2011.
Juventus will regret dropping points in this fixture as their defeat leaves them out of the top four. The Bianconeri's fate now hangs in the balance, as they will only qualify for the Champions League if any other team in the top four drop points in the last three games of the campaign.
Here are five talking points from Sunday's game.
#5 Misfiring Juventus made to rue their missed chances
Juventus weren't at their attacking best against AC Milan. They had as many as 16 shots throughout the game, but only one of them was on target. Cristiano Ronaldo was deprived of service and could only muster two shots. In comparison, AC Milan had 10 attempts on goal, and five of them were on target.
It was just the sixth time this season that Juventus have failed to find the back of the net in a league fixture. Their goalscoring form has taken a hit in 2021, with five of their goalless outings coming this year.
With Champions League qualification at stake, they can't afford to lose their shooting boots.
#4 AC Milan flexing their muscles against Juventus
AC Milan are an improved team this season. They were even at the top of the league standings in the first half of the season. Even though they lost out on the title to city rivals Inter Milan, they were able to stand up against Juventus once again in the league.
In their last five meetings with the Turin giants, AC Milan have registered two wins and lost only once. Between 2016 and 2019, they had lost nine consecutive games against the Old Lady.
Sunday's win also had special significance because it was the Rossoneri's first win at the Juventus Stadium since 2011.
As things stand, AC Milan are in third place in the Serie A standings.
Also See: 10 highest-paid players in the Serie A this season (2020/21)
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo fails to inspire Juventus to a comeback
Cristiano Ronaldo had one of his worst games of the season for Juventus on Sunday. He failed to record a single shot on target.
While it is unfair to pin all the blame on him, more was expected from the league's top scorer in this crucial encounter.
The Portuguese ace did not have a single touch in the AC Milan box in the first half of the game. Even as the game resumed in the second half, he struggled to get into his groove.
With 27 goals, Ronaldo is the league's top scorer and could very well win his first Capocannoniere. However, if he fails to deliver a trophy for Juventus this term, he might find himself on the receiving end of flak from supporters and critics alike.
#2 VAR hands AC Milan a goalscoring opportunity, but Szczesny saves from the spot yet again
VAR was once again involved in a penalty call during the Juventus-AC Milan game on Monday.
Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini blocked a shot by stretching out his arm, and the match official awarded AC Milan a penalty after a lengthy consultation with the VAR.
The spot-kick offered AC Milan a golden opportunity to double their lead, but Franck Kessie's meek effort was saved by Wojciech Szczęsny. It was the Polish goalkeeper's third penalty save against the Italian giants in four attempts.
Fortunately, this miss did not prove costly as AC Milan outclassed Juventus and scored twice in four minutes to seal the victory.
#1 Juventus failing to qualify for the Champions League is a very real possibility now
Sunday's loss saw Juventus drop out of the top four in the Serie A standings. Although they are just a point behind fourth-placed Napoli, they no longer have control over their chances of finishing in the top four this season.
Inter Milan have already won the title and will finish in pole position. Meanwhile, Atalanta are in great goalscoring form, and it seems unlikely that they will drop points in the last three games of the campaign.
Even if Juventus win all of their remaining fixtures (they face Inter five days from now), they will need a team above them to drop points for a top-four finish.
So, even if they give their best, it might not be enough for them to play in the Champions League next season.
