Despite a Robinho brace, Juventus” data-scaytid=”2″>Juventus beat Milan 3-2 at San Siro to lift the Trofeo Berlusconi with Alessandro Matri.
Despite a Robinho brace, Juventus beat Milan 3-2 at San Siro to lift the Trofeo Berlusconi with Alessandro Matri.
The Rossoneri lost Stephan El Shaarawy to kidney stones, Massimo Ambrosini and Philippe Mexes to injury, but most importantly Antonio Cassano. FantAntonio was not even in the stadium for this traditional pre-season friendly, fuelling rumours he’s in talks for a move to Inter.
Cristian Zapata made his debut, but fans unfurled banners that read: ‘We don’t want Borriello’ and ‘President we need a champion.’
The Bianconeri had to do without Andrea Pirlo, Gigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Martin Caceres for this match with over 30,000 fans present. Luca Marrone was again tested in central defence.
This was the 22nd edition of the Trofeo Berlusconi, but since it was between these two teams they had nine wins each. It was also Milan’s debut on the new hybrid artificial pitch at San Siro – a semi-synthetic base with real grass.
Urby Emanuelson nodded just wide in the opening minutes and a strong passing move led to the goal. Robinho burst forward through the middle and spread the play for Mathieu Flamini, whose shot from the by-line hit the upright and ricocheted into the path of the Brazilian to tap in from a yard.
The equaliser came only four minutes later, as Paolo De Ceglie got down the left and his low cross was prodded in by Claudio Marchisio at full stretch.
Emanuelson’s free kick skimmed the upright, but Mirko Vucinic unleashed a rocket that rattled the crossbar with Christian Abbiati beaten.
Juventus turned the game around completely just before the break, as Arturo Vidal sprung the offside trap thanks to a Luca Antonini error on Marrone’s long ball and kept his cool to avoid a last-gasp tackle with a dummy, depositing it past Abbiati.
Alexandre Pato made his first appearance at San Siro for six months after a series of muscular injuries, as both sides made numerous changes for the second half. Ignazio Abate limped off with a suspected sprained ankle.
Matri, who is celebrating his 28th birthday, saw a scuffed strike flapped off the line by Abbiati. At the other end Marco Storari used his feet to parry a deflected corner, while Paul Pogba was very impressive in midfield.
Abbiati rushed off his line to parry, but from the resulting corner Matri was allowed a free header from the chipped Emanuele Giaccherini cross. Matri has been heavily linked with a move to the Rossoneri – his former club – and did not celebrate.
Teenager Alberto Masi ran into the back of Robinho for a penalty, which the Brazilian got back up to powerfully convert into the top corner.
Abbiati used his foot to beat away a Matri shot at the near post, but Stephan Lichtsteiner also went off with a fitness problem. A long-range Michele Pazienza attempt was fingertipped over the bar, but Juventus secured the Trofeo Berlusconi 3-2.
Milan 2-3 Juventus
Scorers: Robinho 9, pen 77 (M), Marchisio 13 (J), Vidal 43 (J), Matri 64 (J)
Milan: Abbiati; Abate (Nocerino 50), Zapata, Yepes, Antonini (De Sciglio 46); Flamini (Traoré 63), Montolivo, Constant, Boateng (Valoti 80), Emanuelson (Pato 46), Robinho
Juventus: Storari; Barzagli (Masi 69), Marrone (Rugani 89), Lucio (Bonucci 46); De Ceglie (Ziegler 46), Padoin (Giaccherini 46), Vidal, Pogba, Marchisio (Lichtsteiner 46) (Asamoah 86); Giovinco (Quagliarella 46), Vucinic (Matri 46)
Ref: Guida