Not since November 2012 have Juventus dropped points against Milan but for 63 minutes here that record looked in serious jeopardy.
Juve probed but, as attested by the cavils that reverbarated around the J Stadium, showed little signs of piercing through an admittedly parsimonious rearguard.
That was until Paulo Dybala volleyed beyond Gigi Donnarumma on 64 minutes to lift his side above their opponents on the evening and within touching distance of the European places.
A cagey opening
An enterprising run from Paulo Dybala, halted illegally by Alessio Romagnoli, set the tone for the evening.
Open best described the opening exchanges as both Juraj Kucka and Claudio Marchisio lashed efforts over the crossbar. Milan seemed content in allowing Juve to hoard possession and hit the Old Lady on the break.
Milan, though, were posing a threat. Riccardo Montolivo, controlling play impeccably from his deep-lying playmaking role, lofted a lovely ball into Alessio Cerci whose lay-off was lashed just wide of the post by M’Baye Niang.
Cerci, perhaps, encapsulated Milan’s opening quarter of an hour; bright spells offset by frequent stretches of complacency.
Hernanes then swung at mid-air when Paul Pogba cut a promising pass across the penalty area on 24 minutes.
Ten minutes passed and, despite Juve’s best efforts, the deadlock had still not been broken. Pogba fashioned a half-chance ten minutes before the break after Hernanes had broke down the left, but the Frenchman lofted his effort into the stands.
The Brazilian then threatened Gigi Donnarumma’s goal minutes later with a rasping effort.
The referee was cast into the limelight seconds into the second-half when he awarded a free-kick to Juventus — ostensibly for Niang’s push on Stefano Sturaro — after Leonardo Bonucci, on for Hernanes at the interval, had fouled Giacomo Bonaventura as the Italian shaped to shoot.
The crowd were beginning to grow restless as Juve’s profligacy showed no signs of abating.
Kucka rose above Barzagli on 52 minutes but could not divert his header towards goal.
Hosts crank up the volume
The midfielder was almost left to rue his miss when Alex Sandro released an effort down the other end, but his shot was always veering wide.
Donnaruma, akin to his stop from Hernanes in the first period, was then prompted into action from Pogba’s dipping effort just shy of the hour mark.
But, with four minutes having passed from that half-chance, Juve edged infront. Dovetailing divinely on the left-hand side with Pogba, Alex Sandro clipped a delightful pass into Dybala who took one touch and cannoned his volley beyond a hapless Donnarumma.
Milan almost offered an instant riposte when the ball fell invitingly for Kucka on the edge of the area, but he hooked his effort over the bar.
Sinisa Mihajlovic, in a bid to rescue a point, sent for Luiz Adriano with fifteen minutes to play.
Juve could have doubled their advantage when Alvaro Morata, who replaced the goalscorer on 80 minutes, stood up a tantalising cross to the far stick, though Niang was positioned perfectly to foil Lichtsteiner.
But it was Mario Mandzukic, conspicously anonymous on the evening, that was presented with a golden opportunity to extend the home side's advantage. In keeping with the Croatian's seemingly shot confidence, he lashed over the crossbar.
Cerci offered a modicum of hope when he prompted Buffon into a save, but his efforts were in vain when the referee blew the whistle for full-time.