Thiago Motta hailed Juventus' consistency after handing Sergio Conceicao his first defeat as AC Milan head coach following the 2-0 win at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Juventus, who are yet to lose this season, climbed to 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 straight clean sheets against Milan for the first time in their Serie A history, limiting their opponents to just three shots on target.
They also won at home to Milan in Serie A for the first time since November 2019, ending a run of four straight home games without a win against them.
“Today we played a great match, matches like this are won with a lot of daily work from these guys, who I thank,” Motta told DAZN.
“They are improving because they work with great dedication and overcome the many difficulties we have had. Victories like this are the right reward.”
Juventus' triumph comes 15 days after they were defeated by Milan in the semi-final of the Supercoppa Italiana.
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 matches.
“In the last match with Atalanta we made some technical errors that gave the opponent confidence,” said Motta.
“Today the opponent understands that they are facing a team with a good defensive phase. They play good football by putting intensity and quality superior.”
Juventus dominated proceedings, recording a total of 1.08 expected goals (xG) from their 15 attempts, while also finishing the match with 60% possession.
They also prevented Milan from finding the back of the net for the second time in their last 30 away games in Serie A, with both shutouts coming against Juventus.
“We wanted to be aggressive, not give Milan time to play and limit the calm of their goalkeeper, who can think logically and find the open man,” Motta added.
“The boys did well with a lot of energy and I am 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.
“Apart from the goal he scored today, he is a man who helps a lot, he works well and has always been available,” concluded Motta.
“He has never been out due to injury or suspension and when he has featured he has always contributed to the team.”
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