5 things from Milan's feisty defeat to Juventus

Welcome to the 5 Things recap by theScore's Anthony Lopopolo, which highlights AC Milan's performances over the 2018-19 season. Here's a breakdown of Milan's 2-1 defeat to Juventus.

Juventus win despite playing in second gear

Juventus got a result without playing to their full potential - and not for the first time this season. At least Milan pushed Juventus at home, which is something opponents are oftentimes afraid to do. The Rossoneri showed that the seven-time defending champions can be beaten if they're put under pressure. The thing is that Juventus need only one moment to turn the game, and that came when they earned that decisive penalty. They pushed on from there.

Musacchio's error proves costly

There was no need for Mateo Musacchio to go to ground when Paulo Dybala streaked into the area. Davide Calabria was there to cover the Juventus playmaker, but Musacchio nonetheless went in to give up the silly foul. Dybala scored and Juventus, who were sleepy for large stretches of the match, got the wake-up they needed. Musacchio tried to make up for his error with a last-ditch sliding tackle that denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity later on in the match, but the penalty gave Juve the momentum to go on and win the game. Milan tried to respond but they lacked the composure to regain the lead.

Handball rule needs clarifying

It's impossible to tell what's a handball anymore. Some could reasonably argue that Alex Sandro clearly handled Hakan Calhanoglu's cross in the area and others could say Sandro's hand was close enough to his body. The video review took an eternity and the eventual decision left many people unsatisfied. VAR is exposing the handball rule as inconsistent at best. In its current state, the rule is far too subjective. The overwhelming feeling, however, is that Milan should've been awarded that penalty, and it's hard to fault anyone for that.

Bakayoko puts Juve under pressure

Restored to his usual central midfield role, Tiemoue Bakayoko was a tour de force, contributing in all phases of play. His most important contribution came when he dispossessed Leonardo Bonucci and set up Krzysztof Piatek's opening goal. Bakayoko is at his best when he's allowed to dictate the match on his terms, and he did that on Saturday. He made those crucial vertical passes that we've come to expect of him and harassed Juventus whenever they had the ball.

Milan struggle over 90 minutes

The performance was so encouraging from the first whistle. Milan were rugged and tireless and full of heart for the first hour of play but waned in the final 30 minutes. They allowed Juventus to take over after the penalty and they struggled to get anything going after that. Their physical levels seemed to drop, which also happened at the tail end of last season. If only they could play in the second half as they did in the first. Instead, Milan gave Juventus a way back into the match, and the hosts accepted the invitation.