Manuel Locatelli returns to haunt his former club as Juventus defeats 10-man Milan 1-0.

In a thrilling clash at the San Siro, Manuel Locatelli delivered a stunning blow to his former team, ensuring a 1-0 victory for Juventus over AC Milan.

This victory snapped the Rossoneri's impressive six-match winning streak at home in Serie A, and it propelled Juventus to within two points of Inter Milan, who currently lead the league.

The game kicked off with Milan showing early promise in this matchup of northern Italian giants. A fantastic play saw Rafael Leao finding Olivier Giroud, whose quick strike was expertly denied by Wojciech Szczesny.

However, Juventus displayed their counterattacking prowess, with Filip Kostic playing a pivotal role on the left flank. Kostic set up a chance for Timothy Weah and later provided a perfectly-weighted pass to Adrien Rabiot, whose shot narrowly missed the far post.

As the first half drew to a close, the match took a dramatic turn when Malick Thiaw received a straight red card for a foul on Moise Kean, preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Milan's coach, Stefano Pioli, responded by making a defensive change, replacing Christian Pulisic with Pierre Kalulu.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Milan looked more threatening initially after the break.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri made substitutions, bringing in Andrea Cambiaso and Dusan Vlahovic, with Vlahovic making his comeback from a back injury.

However, it was Locatelli who stole the spotlight with a long-range shot that deflected off Rade Krunic and found the back of the net past Antonio Mirante.

This marked Juventus' first shot on target in the match, with Mirante having been a mere spectator until that moment. Locatelli's goal appeared to deflate Milan's spirits, as they struggled to regain their attacking momentum.

Vlahovic came close to doubling Juventus' lead with a speculative attempt that was tipped over by Mirante.

Despite a late injury to Weah, Juventus held on for a memorable victory in Italy's second city.

This win ended their five-match winless streak against Serie A rivals and injected fresh momentum into their Scudetto pursuit.

On the other hand, AC Milan's 12-match unbeaten home run in Serie A came to an end, and they missed the opportunity to overtake Inter Milan at the top of the league standings.

SportsLigue