AC Milan Lazio 1, Serie A March 28 2010

AC Milan's title challenge stuttered once more tonight as they were held to a draw at home to struggling Lazio.

With leaders Inter Milan losing at Roma yesterday, the opportunity was there for Milan to move within a point of the Serie A summit.

But not for the first time this season they blew it.

They went ahead when Marco Borriello netted from the spot in the 18th minute but some lax defending allowed Stephan Lichtsteiner to equalise just after the half-hour mark.

Milan huffed and puffed in the second half but Lazio deserved the point which moved them five points clear of the relegation zone.

The game took a while to get going but it burst into life in the 17th minute when Milan took the lead.

France international Mathieu Flamini made a burst into the box down the right but saw his run ended by a poorly-timed tackle by Aleksandar Kolarov.

Referee Paolo Tagliavento pointed to the spot and Borriello - on penalty duty due to Ronaldinho's suspension - made no mistake despite Lazio keeper Fernando Muslera getting a hand to the ball.

Lazio equalised 14 minutes later although Milan boss Leonardo will be asking questions of his backline.

Cristian Ledesma's aimless ball into the box should have been dealt with but Luca Antonini made a hash of his clearance with the ball falling nicely for Lichtsteiner and he made no mistake with a clinical volley past Dida.

MILAN VS LAZIO VIDEO HIGHLIGHT


Dida was looking shaky and he almost gifted the Biancoceleste a second before half-time.

Ledesma's corner invited him off his line to punch but the Brazilian could only flap at the delivery, dropping it down at the feet of Andre Dias.

Dias should have shot first time but he delayed and Milan defender Thiago Silva got in a well-timed challenge to make the block.

Antonini almost atoned for his earlier blunder by restoring Milan's advantage nine minutes into the second half.

After latching on to a poor clearance from Muslera, he ran through a couple of weak Lazio challenges before lashing in a powerful drive from the edge of the area which beat the Lazio keeper but rattled back off the bar.

Milan threatened again after 67 minutes through Borriello.

The Italy international received the ball from strike-partner Filippo Inzaghi and turned cleverly but his shot was blasted over the bar.

Lazio played primarily on the counter-attack in the second half but it was a policy which almost reaped its reward with 20 minutes to go.

A free-kick from the left from Stefano Mauri was perfect for Dias to attack with his head. Instead he tried an acrobatic volley and put his effort wide of the upright with Dida struggling to make up the ground.

Milan created one last chance with eight minutes to go.

A mix-up in the Lazio defence meant Thiago's long ball was not cleared properly by either Kolarov or Muslera but Ignazio Abate was unable to capitalise, shooting high and wide when well placed.

Milan stay third, two points behind Roma and three adrift of Inter.

1 Dida	86 Fernando Muslera
19 Giuseppe Favalli	28 Guglielmo Stendardo
33 Thiaguinho	26 Stefan Radu
23 Massimo Ambrosini	80 André Dias
77 Luca Antonini	24 Cristian Ledesma
15 Gianluca Zambrotta	32 Christian Brocchi
10 Clarence Seedorf	5 Stefano Mauri
16 Mathieu Flamini	11 Aleksandar Kolarov
20 Ignazio Abate	2 Stephan Lichtsteiner
22 Marco Borriello	10 Mauro Zárate
9 Filippo Inzaghi	9 Tommaso Rocch

Milan 1 Napoli 1

AC Milan failed to take full advantage of Inter Milan's draw against Palermo last night as they were held to a draw at home to Napoli and missed the opportunity to leapfrog their city rivals to the top of the Serie A table.

Hugo Campagnaro put a lively Napoli ahead in the 13th minute, but Filippo Inzaghi equalised 12 minutes later.

Napoli enjoyed the better of the first half while Milan improved in the second 45 minutes, but neither side did enough to deserve more than a point, which takes the Rossoneri back to within a single point of Inter.

Inter Milan's draw at Palermo last night meant Milan had the chance to move to the top of the table with a win, but Napoli had other ideas.

They started the brighter and deservedly went ahead in the 13th minute.

Lavezzi drew everybody to the near post where Christian Abbiati and Massimo Oddo got in each other's way and ended up in a heap as the Argentinian forward pulled the ball back to his compatriot Campagnaro, who side-footed the it into the completely empty goal.

Napoli were showing no fear at all with Lavezzi and Fabio Quagliarella combining well.

A second goal seemed more likely than an equaliser, but when you have Ronaldinho on the field, anything can happen.

And the Brazilian weaved his magic in the 25th minute, lifting a cross to Inzaghi, who was glued in his usual position underneath the crossbar to head in the equaliser.

Napoli did not lose belief, though, and both Lavezzi and Quagliarella had chances to restore their advantage before Leandro Rinaudo's header needed a goalline clearance from Andrea Pirlo to prevent the Rossoneri from going in at the interval behind.

Quagliarella fired a volley straight against Abbiati midway through the second half as the visitors continued to set the tone.

However, Amantino Mancini should have put the home side ahead moments later when he was sent through on goal by Clarence Seedorf, but the former Inter forward shot straight at Morgan De Sanctis.

As the clock ticked down, Milan finally began to show the urgency of a side who scented the chance of moving to the top of the league.

The crowd tried to play their part too while Milan coach Leonardo sent Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on as a fourth striker in place of Seedorf.

But they were still unable to find a way through while Napoli regularly threatened to hit them on the counterattack, finding plenty of room as Milan committed men forward.

In the end, though, a draw was the fair result, even if it means Milan remain second while Napoli join Genoa in seventh place.

AC Milan	Napoli
12 Christian Abbiati	26 Morgan De Sanctis
19 Giuseppe Favalli	77 Leandro Rinaudo
33 Thiaguinho	28 Paolo Cannavaro
15 Gianluca Zambrotta	14 Hugo Armando Campagnaro
44 Massimo Oddo	2 Gianluca Grava
21 Andrea Pirlo	23 Walter Gargano
16 Mathieu Flamini	5 Michele Pazienza
9 Filippo Inzaghi	7 Ezequiel Lavezzi
10 Clarence Seedorf	17 Marek Hamsik
80 Ronaldinho	27 Fabio Quagliarella
7 Pato	11 Cristian Maggio

Roma 0 Milan 0 - Seri A Video Highlights

Roma: Julio Sergio, Juan, Burdisso, Riise, Cassetti, Pizarro, De Rossi, Vucinic, Perotta, Baptista (Toni 58'), Taddei.

Milan: Abbiati, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Antonini (Abate 71'), Bonera, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Flamini (Beckham 72'), Ronaldinho, Boriello (Inzaghi 78'), Huntelaar.


AC Milan dominated but had to settle for a point against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

In a battle of two teams who still have scudetto aspirations, the Rossoneri had numerous opportunities to break the deadlock but failed to take any of them.

The result left Milan in second place - three points behind Serie A leaders and city rivals Inter, who will take on Genoa with a chance to extend their gap at the summit to six points. Roma remained third, two points behind Milan.

A fine Milan can't get more than a 0-0 draw in Rome. Leonardo's team plays the whole match with great conviction, showing especially in the second half a great physical shape, which brings the Rossoneri to be dangerous more than once in the opposition's penalty area. With great authority and ball possession Milan once again showed they have what it takes to play a match of very high level in Manchester.

The Saturday evening match of the 27th matchday starts with an offensive Milan team designed by its coach with a trident formed by Ronaldinho, Borriello and Huntelaar. Ranieri on his part left out Toni and included Julio Baptista behind Vucinic.
After just three minutes Roma created the first chance of the evening. De Rossi fired a shot from the edge of the area which went just past Abbiati's post. After the first chances for the home side the match became more balanced, and in the Rossoneri's midfield there emerged a great, dynamic Flamini, who did well to amplify the play while Pirlo did well to block the reference points. In the 23rd minute came the first chance for Milan through Antonini who sent his shot over the crossbar.

Also the strikers tried but first Borriello in the 29th minute and then Huntelaar failed to be effective in the penalty area. The growth of the Rossoneri team was more evident in the second half. The first 15 minutes of the second half saw an attacking Milan. Borriello managed to make himself dangerous, going past Juan but his shot was stopped by the goalkeeper. At this point Ranieri modified his team by sending on Luca Toni. With his characteristics the striker kept the ball up allowing his team mates to take breathers.

Leonardo's answer didn't take long. The Brazilian sent on Beckham and Abate, reinforcing the right wing. The Englishman played two splendid assists for Huntelaar and Ronaldinho, but they both couldn't take advantage. Near the end also Roma made themselves dangerous especially when they tried to find Toni through the area.

It finished 0-0, a draw that slows down the run-up to Inter but which showed a team in great athletic shape and always very convinced of its potential. In Manchester there's still all to play for.