Milan 2 Lazio 2

Milan: Abbiati, Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Antonini; Gattuso (Van Bommel 18'), Ambrosini, Aquilani (Nocerino 68'); Boateng (Pato 76'); Ibrahimovic, Cassano

Lazio: Bizzarri; Konko, Biava, Dias, Zauri; Ledesma, Brocchi; Cissè, Hernanes (Matuzalem 85'), Mauri (Lulic 81'); Klose (Gonzalez 68')

AC Milan selamat dari ketertinggalan dua gol saat menjamu Lazio pada laga pembuka Serie A Italia di San Siro, Jumat (9/9) malam waktu setempat. Miroslav Klose dan Djibril Cisse sama-sama mencetak gol debutnya untuk Lazio sebelum disamakan duet andalan tuan rumah, Zlatan Ibrahimovic dan Antonio Cassano.

Lazio kali terakhir memperoleh kemenangan di San Siro pada musim 1989/90 dan setelahnya 13 kali mengalami kekalahan serta delapan kali bermain imbang. Namun, sejak September 2008 Milan tak sanggup mengalahkan Lazio di markas sendiri.

Kemenangan berada di depan mata Lazio dalam 22 menit pertama pertandingan. Klose membuka keunggulan pada menit ke-12 ketika berhasil mengecoh pengawalan Alessandro Nesta. Tendangan mendatar kaki kiri Klose gagal dihalau kiper Christian Abbiati.

Sepuluh menit berselang, San Siro makin terbungkam ketika umpan silang Stefano Mauri disambut sundulan terarah Cisse. Abbiati tidak bisa berbuat banyak.

Sebelum gol ini terjadi, Milan kehilangan Gennaro Gattuso karena menderita cedera mata dalam perebutan bola dengan Nesta. Gelandang bandel itu pun digantikan dengan Mark van Bommel.

Milan tak berlama-lama terpuruk dalam ketertinggalan. Menit 29, Cassano terlepas di rusuk kiri pertahanan Lazio saat menerima umpan terobosan Alberto Aquilani. Tanpa pengawalan berarti, Cassano melepaskan umpan mendatar yang dituntaskan dengan mudah oleh Ibrahimovic.

Empat menit kemudian, Cassano sendiri yang melesakkan gol. Tendangan penjuru Kevin-Prince Boateng disambut Cassano dengan sundulan yang menaklukkan Albano Bizzarri.

Menyamakan kedudukan, Milan pun memegang kendali permainan. Di awal babak kedua, Cassano hampir melesakkan gol istimewa. Bola umpan Ibrahimovic ditahan menggunakan dada dan kemudian ditendang hingga menghantam tiang.

Lazio memperoleh peluang ketika Cisse mampu lolos dari sergapan bek Milan dan Abbiati. Dengan mulut gawang yang sudah terbuka, bola berhasil diselamatkan Nesta secara akrobatik.

Milan memasukkan Alexandre Pato pada menit ke-75 untuk memaksakan hasil kemenangan. Namun, Bizzarri terlalu tangguh untuk ditaklukkan lagi. Tendangan Pato meleset dari sudut menjanjikan, sementara Ibrahimovic tersandung saat berupaya menguasai sebuah umpan.

Hingga peluit akhir berbunyi, kedudukan tetap 2-2.



ENGLISH
THE ROSSONERI have started the new Serie A campaign with a draw against Lazio. Despite going 2-0 down early on, The Rossoneri came back well to tie it at 2-2 with goals from Ibrahimovic and Cassano, but were unable to find the necessary goal to take the win.

With some of the brazilians not fully up to speed and some other injuries, Massimiliano played Abbiati in goal, behind a back 4 of Abate, Nesta, Silva and Antonini. In midfield, an Italian trio of Gattuso, Ambrosini and Aquilani was deployed, whilst Boateng played behind Cassano and Ibrahimovic, meaning 8 of the 11 players were Italian.

The game initially started at a frantic pace, with Lazio fast out of the blocks to try and show their intent, but within 5 minutes the Rossoneri had taken control and were already looking the better side.

AC Milan-S.S. Lazio: Official line-ups
Milan, new premium sponsors: Taçi Oil

With just 7 minutes on the clock, Aquilani had a chance to score on his debut! Milan’s Mister X made a terrific run which was only seen by one Zlatan Ibrahimovic – however, the Swede most importantly had the ball, and with an ingenious flick, played Aquilani through! Unfortunately, Alberto overcooked his touch and unfortunately was unable to guide it into the back of the net.

Disaster struck less than 5 minutes later though, as a brilliant ball was played into the Milan box for Klose, who pulled off an amazing first touch to flick the ball to the other side of Nesta, before slotting it into the bottom corner with his left foot, a stunning goal but it meant Milan were behind just 11 minutes in to the match!

Approaching the 17 minute mark and Lazio should have been 2-0 up. Following a terrible mix up between Gattuso and Nesta, Djibril Cisse was allowed in, and blasted his shot at Abbiati. Abbiati was unable to hold it, and it fell out to Klose who should have tapped in his second, managed to put it wide.

Gattuso was taken off due to injury, and replaced by Mark van Bommel

The task became even more difficult shortly after the 20 minute mark, as Lazio took a 2-0 lead. As a brilliant ball was played into the Milan box, Djibril Cisse was the only one moving, and he ran on and headed it into the top corner with a well executed header, another quality goal, and Lazio were on fire now.

Around the half hour mark, and Milan were back in it! Following an excellent chipped pass from Alberto Aquilani, Antonio Cassano was unmarked in the box and played it square for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to pull one back!

Just 3 minutes later and Milan were level! The Rossoneri earned a corner through Kevin-Prince Boateng’s shot, and Alberto Aquilani played in a superb corner, for Antonio Cassano to header directly in to level the scorelines! A good goal in a great game, and Cassano made up for his disapoointing start!

In an action packed terrific game of end to end football, Lazio very nearly took the lead once more, this time through Hernanes, but the Brazilian pulled his shot wide, as Milan breathed a sigh of relief, the game was incredibly intense now.

Around the 40 minute mark, Kevin-Prince Boateng almost gave Milan the lead with a good shot from the edge of the area, but he just sliced across the ball and the shot pulled wide. The game was still fairly open and even, however Milan were definitely ending the half better.

Milan ended the half on top and came close to scoring with a Van Bommel drive from outside the box, but the scoreline remained 2-2. The Rossoneri had shown great character to come from behind after going 2-0 down due to poor defending, but at half time, the score was level.

Only a moment into the second half, and Antonio Cassano very nearly put Milan in front. Following a good tackle and pass from Van Bommel, Cassano found himself inside the box. The Italian cut back inside and fired hard and low aiming for the far post, but he narrowly put it wide of the post.

The next opportunity too score came for Kevin-Prince Boateng, who just missed the ball with a diving header following Ibrahimovic’s ball in from deep. Unfortunately, Boateng injured himself in the process, but received treatment and came back on after a few more minutes.

Milan almost took the lead again with 60 minutes on the clock, this time through Cassano. As Ibrahimovic held the ball up well, the Swede played a terrific ball into the box for Cassano, who controlled it and shot – but his effort blasted the post and went out! Within minutes Cassano was turning provider and played it across for Boateng, but Bizzarri saved well.

Lazio almost took the lead a few minute soon after, as Djibril Cisse took the ball around Christian Abbiati and looked set to score a certain goal, but Alessandro Nesta redeemed himself after a poor 60 minutes, with an excellent block to prevent a goal, excellent defending!

68 minutes had passed, when Nocerino was brought on for Alberto Aquilani.

With 15 minutes to go and Milan in need of a goal, Pato was brought on for Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Ibrahimovic forced a good save from Bizzarri with around 6 minutes left on the clock, as the Swede was put through into the box, he shot across goal on his weaker foot was saved well, and the scoreline reamined level, with just minutes on the clock.

In something of an anticlimactic ending, the game almost fizzled out. Whilst it became a case of Lazio wasting time and Milan pressing forward, there were no golden opportunities – Pato had a half-chance, a volley on the edge of the area, but he couldn’t do anything with it, and the referee became Mr.unpopular by blowing up exactly at the end of injury time as Milan were just about to take a corner

The Rossoneri did well to come from 2 goals behind however the second goal was poor defending, and there were quite a few opportunities to score throughout the game but the Rossoneri could not capitalise.

Best Moment: Cassano’s equaliser

Man of the Match: Aquilani did well, though he shouldn’t have been subbed off, and Cassano was infuriatingly inconsistent, but productive with a goal and assist