Motta lauds Juventus' consistency following Milan triumph

Thiago Motta applauded Juventus' consistency after inflicting Sergio Conceicao's first defeat as AC Milan's head coach after their 2-0 win at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Juventus, who are yet to lose this season, moved into the top four of the Serie A standings thanks to second-half goals from Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah.

The result saw Juventus keep four consecutive clean sheets against Milan for the first time in their Serie A history, restricting their opponents to just three shots on target.

They also won at home against Milan in Serie A for the first time since November 2019, ending a run of four home games in a row without a victory against them.

"Today we played a great game, games like this are won with a lot of daily work from these guys, whom I thank," Motta told DAZN.

"They are improving because they work with a lot of commitment, overcoming the many difficulties we have had. Victories like these are the right reward."

Juventus' triumph comes 15 days after they were beaten by Milan in their Supercoppa Italiana semi-final clash.

Motta's side remain unbeaten in the league so far, but had drawn seven of their previous eight league games, including in each of their last three Serie A clashes.

"In the last match with Atalanta we made some technical errors that gave confidence to the opponent," Motta said.

"Today the opposing team understands that they are facing a team with a good defensive phase, and they play good football by putting intensity and quality to be superior."

Juventus dominated proceedings, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 1.08 from their 15 attempts, while also ending the contest with 60% possession.

They also stopped Milan from finding the back of the net for just the second time in their last 30 Serie A away games, with both those shutouts coming against Juventus.

"We wanted to be aggressive, not give Milan time to play and limit the tranquillity of their goalkeeper who knows how to think logically and find the free man," Motta added.

"The boys did it well with a lot of energy, and I'm happy because in the end it went well."

Motta also praised Mbangula, who, at 21 years and two days old, became the youngest foreign player to score for Juventus against Milan in Serie A.

"Beyond the goal he scored today, he's a guy who helps a lot, he's working well and has always been available," Motta concluded.

"He's never been out due to injury or suspension and when he's participated he's always given his contribution to the team."