The big match of the sixth Serie A round will take place on Sunday night at San Siro — a classic encounter between two historic rivals, filled with iconic moments that have shaped the history of Italian and international football.
The pinnacle of Italian club football, setting aside the national team, was undoubtedly the 2002–03 Champions League Final — the only time two Serie A clubs faced each other in the continent’s top competition. Those two sides were Juventus and AC Milan. That single memory alone is enough to capture the magnitude and historical weight of this rivalry, both domestically and abroad.
In Manchester, back in that distant 2003, Milan emerged victorious after more than 120 grueling minutes and a dramatic penalty shootout that saw five misses out of ten attempts — three from Juventus and two from Milan.
At the time, I was 25 and working as a correspondent for Radio 24’s sports desk in Rome. I had been sent to Fiumicino Airport, where hundreds of Juventus fans were stranded after their flight to England was canceled. I ended up watching that final with them in the airport’s VIP lounge, which AdR had opened for the unlucky supporters.
Among the players on the pitch that ill-fated night for Juventus was Igor Tudor — now the Bianconeri’s head coach. His final lasted only 42 minutes before injury forced him off for Birindelli. It was one of many misfortunes that befell Juventus that historic evening. Life, sometimes, takes strange, unpredictable turns.
Milan and Juventus have often been fierce rivals in Serie A — sometimes bitterly so. The most heated chapter of their rivalry came during the 2011–12 season.
It was February 25, 2012, when the two sides met at San Siro in a direct showdown for the Scudetto. Allegri’s Milan had started the season as one of the favorites, while Conte’s Juventus, still recovering from the fallout of Calciopoli, arrived as the outsider.
That first Juventus team under Conte was a hard-working, blue-collar side — a mix of veterans and future stars. There were established champions like Buffon, a 37-year-old Del Piero nearing retirement, and Pirlo, freshly departed from Milan and also in the twilight of his career. Then there were the lesser-known figures who would soon rise to greatness — most notably the legendary BBC backline of Bonucci, Barzagli, and Chiellini, which would go on to form the backbone of Juventus’ nine-year title streak.
That February night, Milan came out flying, taking the lead after just 15 minutes through Nocerino and doubling it in the 25th minute with Muntari — or so everyone thought. Allegri’s side came into the match one point ahead of Juventus, who still had a game in hand. Winning the head-to-head clash was the only way to be sure they’d stay in front once Juve caught up on fixtures.
So, 2–0 after less than half an hour — game over. Or not. Muntari’s goal, the apparent second for Milan, was never seen by referee Tagliavento or his assistant. A surreal scene unfolded: while Milan players celebrated amid the roar of San Siro, play continued — even though Buffon had pulled the ball back from well inside the goal. The replays later showed it had crossed the line by at least 60 centimeters. A blatant ghost goal.
No second goal for Milan, then — a sliding-doors moment that changed the course of that match and the entire season.
The game ended 1–1, with Matri equalizing late on, and Juventus went on to win their first title since Calciopoli, beginning a nine-year reign over Serie A. Ironically, that dynasty — launched by Conte — was cemented by five triumphant seasons under Allegri, who also guided the Bianconeri to two Champions League Finals.
The very same Massimiliano Allegri who spent months that season raging about the “Muntari goal” now sits once again on the Milan bench, looking for revenge against fate. After last year’s disappointing campaign, this time it’s Milan who enter the big match as the underdogs…
L’articolo Serie A, the Big Match of Matchday 6 Is Milan vs Juventus: A Nostalgic Flashback to an Epic Clash proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
