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AC Milan vs Palermo Video highlight

AC Milan vs Palermo Video highlight

Milan - Dida; Zambrotta, Nesta, Favalli, Antonini; Pirlo, Ambrosini; Abate, Seedorf, Ronaldinho; Borriello.

Palermo - Sirigu; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Zurich 1- milan1 ( Video highlight : Ronaldinho's goal )

A fright night for AC Milan ended with a 1-1 draw and a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after FC Zürich paid a high price for a single unfortunate challenge.

Ronaldinho penalty
Milan Gajić's superb 29th-minute free-kick for the hosts, who had enjoyed a shock 1-0 win over Milan at San Siro on Matchday 2, looked set to steer the eliminated Swiss champions to a repeat success. But a red card in the 63rd minute for Alain Rochat after he felled Marco Borriello in the area, meant a penalty which Ronaldinho gratefully converted to settle nerves as Milan advanced as Group C runners-up behind Real Madrid CF.

Early chance
Milan made a bright start and needed only seven minutes to create their first chance, with left-back Luca Antonini breaking down the flank to cross, Marco Borriello nodding the ball on and Pato meeting it with a volley which Johnny Leoni did well to smother. It was not a sign of things to come. Zürich's Adrian Nikci swung a left-footed shot just wide by way of reply and although his side needed longer to settle than the seven-times European champions, they were impressive when they did.

Gajić strikes
The hosts could easily have taken the lead in the 26th minute when Gajić threaded the ball past Milan's defence for Alexandre Alphonse to sprint clean through only to balloon his shot over the bar. Gajić made no such mistake three minutes later from over 25 metres, bending his free-kick around the Milan wall and just inside the left-hand post with Dida beaten at full stretch. It was a fair reward for Zürich's efforts and despite Borriello hooking a half-chance over shortly afterwards, Zürich were looking good for their lead. They might even have had a second shortly before the break when Onyekachi Okonkwo sent in a rising shot from the edge of the area, forcing a sharp save from Dida.

Milan switch
Milan, which had struggled in the final third throughout the opening 45 minutes, showed a little more bite after the restart. Fed by Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho drilled in a low angled shot from inside the area which Leoni kept out with a one-handed save. It was not enough for Milan coach Leonardo, who sent on Mathieu Flamini for Massimo Ambrosini to try and stir things up.

Ronaldinho levels
Things certainly livened up in the 63rd minute, when Seedorf slipped a killer pass through to Borriello in the Zürich area and the Italian striker was sent tumbling by Rochat. A red card for the Swiss defender swiftly followed and Ronaldinho gave Leoni no chance with the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Suddenly, it was a different contest and Milan substitute Kakha Kaladze came agonisingly close to putting the visitors in front with a header from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. To their credit, Zürich were determined to exit the competition heads high and they limited Leonardo's men to only half chances late on, but Milan had done enough to advance

HERE THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHT

Champion League : FC Zurich vs Milan , GO Milan!!!

AC Milan coach Leonardo, whose side face a decisive Champions League group stage match on Tuesday, said he would not get carried away on a tide of euphoria after their win at the weekend.
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The Italians need to beat Swiss champions FC Zurich away in Group C to qualify for the knockout stage without having to depend on the result of the Olympique Marseille-Real Madrid tie.

Milan are second in the group with eight points, two behind Madrid and one ahead of the French side. Zurich have already been eliminated although their only win so far was away to Milan.

Milan got rave reviews after beating Sampdoria 3-0 at the weekend to slash Inter Milan's Serie A lead to four points.

"This is a very mature squad, there's enthusiasm but no euphoria," Leonardo told a media conference. "I have no worries about the way the team is going to behave.

"We have to keep our concentration and keep playing for 90 minutes. Our objective is the win which gives us the qualification. The important thing is that we just depend on ourselves."

Milan, who said they are optimistic that Ronaldinho will be able to play, could still qualify if they draw or lose but would then depend on Marseille not getting a better result than themselves.

Ronaldinho went off with a hamstring problem against Sampdoria.

Zurich coach Bernard Challandes, whose team have conceded 13 goals in five games and lost to local rivals Grasshoppers at the weekend, denied his players would be short of motivation.

"With or without the chance of qualifying, this is a match against AC Milan in the Champions League," said Challandes. "Any Swiss player who needs motivation to play against Milan should go and do something else.

"We need to play a really good game, then we can say that we had a good Champions League even though we didn't qualify."

Preview : Milan vs Sampdoria

Milan vs Sampdoria

Coach Luigi Del Neri ahead of the match against Milan:

"At the moment I think Milan are the most in-form team of the league: they are doing very well and Leonardo has found an ideal tactical situation to use the players he has in the best way. I ask my lads to go on the pitch without any negative thoughts, and find back the courage and carefree mentality of the start of the season, considering also that to face a team like Milan you have to give the maximum, both in terms of concentration and physical energy."

Gianluca Zambrotta is hoping Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's match-winning contribution against Catania will prove a watershed moment for the Dutch striker.

Huntelaar, who joined the Rossoneri after a modest spell with Real Madrid last season, failed to find the net in his first seven outings but made a decisive contribution against Catania, scoring two stoppage-time goals just minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Now Zambrotta is hoping for more of the same from the Holland forward, who may have forced his way into the starting XI for tomorrow's home clash with Sampdoria.

Zambrotta, 32, told Milan Channel: "Let's hope that these two goals are a good omen for him, that he unblocked himself and that he can help us during this season.

"It is a fundamental and difficult season, with the many commitments which await us and he will be important.''

It is a crucial weekend at the top of Serie A, with leaders Inter Milan facing third-placed Juventus in the weekend's big match.

Victory over Catania, coupled with an Inter defeat, could lift Leonardo's side to within four points of top spot - a position they could only have wished for during the difficult start to life under the Brazilian coach.

But, with four straight wins coming into the Catania match, Huntelaar believes the title race is back on.

"League titles are not claimed in November or December,'' said the striker. "We still have time to catch Inter and we hope Juve hand us a favour on Sunday.''

Zambrotta echoed those sentiments, urging his team-mates not to lose their current momentum.

"We have to keep the will to win, to continue to remain in the top positions. We are in a good phase but we must continue to go forward in this very good condition which has come out during this period,'' he said.

"Sunday's win arrived in the final two minutes of the match, we managed to reach second place. This is what we wanted and now the important thing will be to continue at this pace.

"We know that Sampdoria are a very good team, they have players who can make the difference at any moment and I think that it will be a well fought game until the end.''

Sampdoria head into the clash reeling from two painful defeats in the space of just four days.

The first of those saw them slump to a morale-sapping 3-0 defeat to city rivals Genoa before being knocked out of the Coppa Italia by two late goals from Livorno.

Manager Luigi Del Neri admitted his side had plenty to learn from those defeats and will hope they can apply those lessons sooner rather than later.

"We have a young team,'' said Del Neri. "We have lads who still don't know what it means to play in Serie A.

"I think this defeat will be useful for my team in the future.

"However, I am disappointed for the fans. I hope we can give them satisfaction in the future.''