Milan reacted to their Champions League setback with a crucial 2-0 victory thanks to Fikayo Tomori and the Brahim Diaz solo run, as Juventus drop back into mid-table mediocrity.
This was a chance for Juve to get back into the Scudetto race, as the Rossoneri were in an injury crisis and coming off a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Chelsea. Theo Hernandez returned, but Mike Maignan, Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Alexis Saelemaekers, Junior Messias, Alessandro Florenzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were still out, so Pierre Kalulu shifted to right-back, bringing Matteo Gabbia into central defence for a 4-3-3. Juve had Angel Di Maria suspended, with Federico Chiesa, Paul Pogba and Kaio Jorge injured.
Juan Cuadrado and Danilo flashed angled drives across the face of goal, but Rafael Leao almost scored a stunner when his back-heel flick from a corner thumped the base of the far post.
Dusan Vlahovic used his elbow to charge down a Leao cross-shot, but as his hands were clamped behind his back, it was not a penalty.
Leao was unlucky to hit the woodwork for a second time on 34 minutes, a screamer from distance that bounced off the base of the other upright.
Leonardo Bonucci flung himself in the path of another Leao scorcher, but Milan broke the deadlock in somewhat contentious circumstances.
Theo Hernandez seemed to foul Cuadrado when earning a corner, then from that set play Giroud’s volley hit Tomori, the defender readjusting to fire in from six yards. He was not offside, as Alex Sandro was standing in the six-yard box. Curiously, this was only Tomori’s second Serie A goal and both were against Juventus.
After the restart, Leao blasted just over from a Brahim Diaz assist, but Milan doubled their lead with a fantastic solo run from the Spaniard.
He intercepted a wayward Vlahovic pass in his own half, sprinted away from Bonucci, rode a Milik sliding tackle and hit it so hard that it bent back Szczesny’s gloves at the near post.
Theo Hernandez anticipated Szczesny only to fire over when the angle was too narrow, as he should’ve pulled it back for Leao.
Milik’s free header was too weak and hit straight at Ciprian Tatarusanu on a Danilo cross, while Moise Kean saw his finish deflected wide by Kalulu after a give-and-go and blasted another over the bar.
In stoppages, Divock Origi stung Szczesny’s gloves at the near post when he should’ve set up Ante Rebic.
Milan 2-0 Juventus
Tomori 45 (M), Brahim Diaz 54 (M)