Drama in the 90+2nd minute: Juventus escapes defeat against Milan

Photo: © Valerio Pennicino

The central and high-stakes clash of the 3rd round of Serie A delivered all the drama fans expected in Turin. The intense battle between Juventus and Milan at the Allianz Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw. The visitors, who were leading until the final moments and had the win almost in their pockets, conceded a goal in the 90+2nd minute added by the referee, letting the victory slip away. Notably, both goals were scored by substitutes brought on by the head coaches.

Battle of the 'Jokers': Cissé's strike and Gatti's last-second comeback

The fate of the match was decided by players who came off the bench in the second half:

• Unexpected goal from Cissé: After a tense and cautious first half, Milan striker Cissé, who entered the pitch in the 61st minute, found the back of Vicario's net just seven minutes later, in the 68th minute, to open the scoring (0-1);

• Amorim's bold move and Gatti's salvation: Near the end of the game, in the 89th minute, Federico Gatti, who replaced Celik, became Juventus' true savior in just three minutes — in the 90+2nd minute, he put the ball into the net guarded by Maignan, shaking the Allianz Stadium (1-1);

• Explosion of emotions and the 90+6th minute punishment: During the nervous struggle in the final seconds, goalscorers Gatti and Cissé were 'rewarded' with yellow cards due to a clash between them.

Tactical chess and a clash of stars on the pitch

Both coaching staffs demonstrated strong tactical setups throughout the match:

• Battle in the midfield: For Juventus, the duo of Locatelli and Luiz fought a relentless battle against the central line led by Milan's experienced playmaker Luka Modrić and Yunus Musah;

• Spalletti's triple substitution: Milan's coach managed to significantly increase the tempo of the game by bringing on Cissé, Chukwueze, and Loftus-Cheek simultaneously in the 61st minute;

• Juventus' relentless pressure: The consecutive assaults organized by the Turin side through Kolo Muani, Conceição, and substitute Zhegrova finally paid off and saved the hosts from an inevitable defeat.

Standings: Chasing the leaders and a 7-point balance

This draw further heated up the race for top spots between the two Italian giants:

• Equal points: Both clubs managed to collect 7 points after the first 3 rounds of the season;

• Goal difference: Based on additional criteria, Amorim's team occupies 4th place in the table, while Spalletti's side sits in 5th.

Serie A. Matchday 3. Official report

Juventus — Milan 1:1

September 6, Allianz Stadium

Goals: Gatti (90+2) — Cissé (68).

Juventus: Vicario, Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumí, Celik (Gatti, 89), Luiz (Woltemade, 75), Locatelli, González (Koopmeiners, 64), Alaybegovic (Boga, 64), Conceição (Zhegrova, 89), Kolo Muani.

Milan: Maignan, Gila (Terracciano, 88), de Winter, Pavlović, Estupiñán, Moreira (Cissé, 61), Modrić (Jashari, 82), Musah, Rabiot (Chukwueze, 61), Saelemaekers (Loftus-Cheek, 61), Ramos.

Bookings: Estupiñán (79), de Winter (90+2), Gatti (90+6), Cissé (90+6).

In your opinion, did Juventus show true championship character in the final seconds of this central clash, or did Milan lose 3 ready points due to a gross tactical error? Which team do you rate higher for the Serie A Scudetto this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments!