Locatelli leads Milan to win over Juventus
milan — Teenage midfielder Manuel Locatelli scored a spectacular second-half goal as AC Milan marked a return to prominence with a 1-0 win over visiting Juventus in Serie A on Saturday.
Locatelli’s powerful, rising shot from the right edge of the area bounced in off the underside of the crossbar, and stranded Gianluigi Buffon.
Locatelli, who is already being compared to Andrea Pirlo, has produced two shots on target in his short Serie A career and both have been goals. He’s been given added responsibility since Milan captain Riccardo Montolivo went down with a long-term injury.
“I still don’t believe it, scoring against the best goalkeeper in the world is incredible ... I’ll probably shed some tears later when I see my family,” Locatelli said.
Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura was in attendance but Locatelli wasn’t expecting a callup soon.
“I’ve got to go step by step,” he said. “I’m focused on the Under-19 European Championship for now.”
Milan moved into second place, two points behind five-time defending champion Juventus, as the Rossoneri seek a return to the Champions League after a threeyear absence.
Milan hadn’t beaten Juventus since November 2012.
“Now we’re going to start a new ‘season,’ because the expectations have been raised,” Milan manager Vincenzo Montella said.
Roma, which hosts Palermo on Sunday, can draw level on points with Milan, which extended its unbeaten streak to six matches.
It was Juventus’ second loss, having also been beaten at the San Siro by Inter Milan.
“This result isn’t going to affect us,” Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said. —