Capello Reacts: Juventus and Milan Shy Away from Courage in a Tepid Turinese Derby

Match snapshot and Capello's verdict

The veteran Italian coach Fabio Capello believes Juventus and Milan were far too cautious, failing to risk much in Sunday’s 0-0 stalemate at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, a sixth round of Serie A action that left both clubs short of the spark fans crave.

Juventus, who had spent the week hovering around the margins with five draws across all competitions, faced boos from their home supporters while Milan also drew criticism for a tepid display that didn’t pull away from the deadlock.

Capello’s take, as reported by Football Italia, was blunt: "The Juve-Milan match wasn’t great; the first half was dull, and neither side showed the courage to take a risk. Two clubs like them should produce more excitement, and the boos at the end were deserved."

There was one decision by Juventus boss Igor Tudor that Capello could not swallow: "I didn’t understand the substitution."

The match was dull overall and the day’s talking point came from a missed late penalty that could have broken the deadlock. Milan pressed for a winner after earning a spot kick in the second half, but Christian Pulisic blasted the ball over the bar, denying the Rossoneri a potential victory.

What did Allegri say about the spot-kick? Massimiliano Allegri remarked, "I didn’t even see how Pulisic took the penalty. Penalties are missed. We played a balanced first half; they closed the spaces well, and we moved the ball far too slowly."

He continued, "Christian is the usual penalty taker; you can’t switch takers just because of a mistake. We must understand who can take penalties when he isn’t on the pitch."

Milano’s tally and the season so far

Since the start of the campaign, Milan have played six games with only one defeat, a stumble in the opening round at home to Cremonese. Since then, they have steadied the ship, winning away at Lecce (2-0) and Udinese (3-0) and drawing with Juventus (0-0) at home, while beating Bologna (1-0) and Napoli (2-1) at San Siro.

Through six rounds, Milan have scored nine and conceded three, collecting 13 points to sit third, two behind leaders Napoli and Roma who both have 15.

Juventus’ path so far has been a tale of early momentum followed by a draw-heavy run. They opened with three straight wins—home against Parma (2-0), away at Genoa (1-0), and a dramatic Derby d’Italia victory over Inter (4-3)—before entering a stretch of draws across domestic and European competition. In Serie A this term, they’ve drawn with Hellas Verona (1-1) and Atalanta (1-1), and most recently with Milan (0-0).

Overall, Juventus have won three and drawn three in six matches, scoring nine and conceding five, totaling 12 points and sitting fifth, level on points with Inter in fourth on goal difference.

Punchlines for a lighter finale: If risk were a flavor, this game would be unsalted. And if football were a sprint, both teams forgot their shoes and left the ball in the midfield cafe.