Substitute Defender Saves Juventus From Defeat Against Milan

Juventus avoided defeat against AC Milan when substitute defender Federico Gatti headed in an equalizer deep in stoppage time for a 1-1 Serie A draw.

Juventus controlled much of the first hour, but Francisco Conceicao’s shot against the post was the closest the home side came to scoring. Milan then moved ahead in the 68th minute through 19-year-old Italian striker Alphadjo Cisse, who beat two Juventus players before placing a low shot into the far corner.

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti had brought Gatti on after 88 minutes and sent the defender forward to disrupt Milan’s defense. The plan worked. Gatti met a high ball inside the penalty area, rose above the defense and headed it in off the crossbar.

Juventus still had three minutes of added time to play, but retreated after the equalizer and sent Gatti back into defense. The team lost its momentum, and the match ended without another goal. Both clubs have seven points from three games, while Roma and Inter lead the table with nine each.