Ac milan vs Chievo 3-0

AC Milan moved to the top of Serie A thanks to a 3-1 win over Chievo this evening, but they were made to work hard for all three points.

Milan: Abbiati; Zambrotta, Nesta, Thiago Silva (Bonera 63), Antonini; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf (Boateng 78); Ronaldinho; Pato (Robinho 69), Ibrahimovic

Chievo: Sorrentino; Frey, Andreolli, Cesar, Mantovani; Bentivoglio (Gelson Fernandes 46), Rigoni, Constant; Bogliacino (Moscardelli 80); Pellissier, Granoche (Thereau 46

Alexandre Pato scored twice against the run of play in the first half to set the Rossoneri on their way to the top.

VIDEO Ac milan vs Chievo 3-0


An own goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 71st minute gave Chievo hope, but Robinho ended their dreams in stoppage time with his first goal for Milan sending them above Lazio into first place.

Chievo made it clear they were not just making up the numbers as they made a bold start to the game with Kevin Constant, a surprise inclusion in their midfield, particularly lively.

They did most of the attacking from start to finish, but fell behind to Milan's first counter attack in the 16th minute.

Clarence Seedorf started the attack from deep in his own half and he sent Luca Antonini forward down the left.

The Milan full-back passed the ball wide to Ibrahimovic, who picked out Pato at the far post and the Brazilian volleyed the ball back across Stefano Sorrentino into the opposite corner of his goal.

Pablo Granoche should have done better with a header from eight yards after being found by Constant's cross in the 24th minute before an excellent team move in the 28th minute culminated in Constant shooting straight at Abbiati, who made an instinctive save to deny him.

The ball fell back to Constant, who was denied again by the Milan goalkeeper.

Chievo were continuing to pose the greater threat, but a quick free-kick from Ibrahimovic sent Pato through to double Milan's lead against the run of play on the half-hour mark.

Sorrentino then denied Pato a hat-trick with a good save on the stroke of half time.

Chievo continued to believe in their chances of getting back into the game and substitute Cyril Thereau tested Abbiati with a curling 30-yard shot which was tipped over the crossbar.

They finally got the goal they deserved in the 71st minute when Sergio Pellissier flicked a corner on with his head and the ball took a deflection off Ibrahimovic's shoulder to divert into the top corner of the goal.

Gelson Fernandes nearly levelled three minutes later with a shot wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area, but the Flying Donkeys ran out of steam.

Robinho pounced with the Chievo defence stretched to round Sorrentino and stroke the ball in for his first goal for the Rossoneri in stoppage time to seal the 3-1 victory.

Barii 0 Milan 2 , Rossoneri cut gap on Inter

Bari: Gillet; Belmonte, A Masiello, Bonucci, S Masiello, Alvarez, Gazzi, Donati, Rivas (Almiron 61') Meggiorini (Sforzini 34'), Barreto

Milan: Abbiati; Abate, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Bonera (Jankulovski 68'), Gattuso (Beckham 81'), Pirlo, Ambrosini, , Ronaldinho, Pato, Borriello (Inzaghi 72')


Marco Borriello fired AC Milan to a comfortable win at Bari to see the Rossoneri close the gap on league leaders Inter to seven points.

The striker returned to action after missing two games through injury and opened the scoring before half-time.

Alexandre Pato doubled his team's lead in the 69th minute but then conceded a penalty with two minutes remaining after bringing down Salvatore Masiello.

Bari failed to capitalise as Paulo Barreto's spot-kick was met by a fine save from Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

The win was Milan's first on the road since January 10 and left them third in the standings, two points behind second-place Roma with a game in hand.

Roma had earlier prevailed 1-0 over Catania while Inter were held to a goalless draw by Sampdoria yesterday.

Milan went into the encounter looking to bounce back from their 3-2 home reverse to Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League tie on Tuesday.

The hosts had hoped to avoid their third-straight defeat but really did not pose much of a threat to the Rossoneri.

Milan dominated the opening stages and had the first chance to take the lead in the 13th minute.

Massimo Ambrosini's left-footed strike from the edge of the area went just wide of Bari goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet's far post.

Shortly after, Pato's central free-kick failed to trouble the keeper.

Bari struggled to break Milan's well-placed defence and the visitors continued to control the game.

On the half-hour mark, Borriello should have broken the deadlock but his powerful header from Daniele Bonera's cross went wide.

But Milan's efforts paid off in the 43rd minute.

Ronaldinho fed Borriello and his left-footed volley from the heart of the area towards the far post beat Gillet.

Bari had the first opportunity shortly after the re-start.

Emmanuel Rivas found Massimo Donati inside the area and his right-footed shot went just wide of Abbiati's far post.

Shortly after the hour mark, Barreto's bullet strike forced Abbiati to palm over the bar for a corner and

it wasn't long before Milan extended their lead.

Gillet parried away Ronaldinho's angled effort but only as far as Pato and the Brazilian made no mistake from close range.

Bari twice had the chance to reduce the arrears but Ferdinando Sforzini nodded wide from the centre of the penalty area before Donati's header from Massiello's cross went inches wide of the far post.

With nine minutes remaining, David Beckham replaced Gennaro Gattuso as Milan looked to finish on a high note.

But it was the hosts that had a chance to re-open the game late on after the referee pointed to the penalty spot when Masiello drew contact from Pato.

Abbiati guessed right as Barreto hit the ball right-footed down the middle of the goal as the keeper came up with the save to preserve the 2-0 win.

Leonardo's Milan will play Fiorentina on Wednesday and a win would lift them over Roma into second place.

Real Madrid 2 - 3 AC Milan

At the Santiago Bernabeu of Madrid Milan beat Real 3-2. In the second half goals by Andrea Pirlo in the 63rd minute and a brace by Alexandre Pato (66', 89'). For Madrid Reaul scored in the 19th minute and Drenthe in the 77th.

Alexandre Pato saved the blushes of fellow Brazilian Dida with a brace as AC Milan stunned Real Madrid at the Bernabeu to get their Champions League challenge back on track and inflict only a second competitive defeat of the season on their big-spending hosts.

For a while it looked as though Dida`s dreadful first-half error, which allowed Raul to give Madrid a half-time lead, would cost Milan dear but Pato popped up in the 88th minute to volley home his side`s winner and help the Italians bounce back from defeat to FC Zurich in their previous Group C match.

That was Pato`s second goal of the game, as he had also put Milan ahead in the 66th minute after Andrea Pirlo's equaliser just minutes before.

Royston Drenthe was the other goalscorer, making it 2-2 in the 76th minute, but his effort could not save Madrid in the battle between the two most successful sides in European Cup history.

The results means seven-time European champions Milan join Madrid, who have won the competition a record nine times, on six points at the midway point of the group stages.

Madrid were convinced Karim Benzema should have been awarded a penalty in the 14th minute after the France striker went crashing to the ground following a challenge from behind by Gianluca Zambrotta.

That incident was forgotten five minutes later when Madrid took the lead following Dida's error.

The Milan goalkeeper comfortably saved Esteban Granero`s head-high shot but, in looking up to see where his team-mates were, he took his eye off the ball before he had complete control of it.

The subsequent fumble was pounced on by the alert Raul, who nicked the ball away from the Brazil keeper before side-footing into an empty net.

That was Raul`s 66th Champions League goal and completed a memorable few days for the veteran forward, who before Saturday`s home game with Real Valladolid was presented with a trophy for breaking Madrid`s appearance record.

Raul`s strike was the only thing that separated the two sides at the end of a closely-fought first half, with the only other decent effort coming from Marcelo on the stroke of half-time.

The dearth of chances in the first period was in stark contrast to the start of the second, when Madrid had four decent efforts in the opening 10 minutes.

Raul drove one wide of the far post, while Dida pluck his attempted chip out of the air.

The Brazilian goalkeeper partly made amends for his first-half howler as he produced fine saves to deny former Milan favourite Kaka and tip over Benzema`s shot from outside the box.

With Milan offering little going forward and Ronaldinho anonymous, it looked only a matter of time before the home side increased their lead.

But completely against the run of play, Milan not only found an equaliser but also managed to take the lead in a remarkable four-minute spell that turned the game upside down.

Although not in the same league as Dida`s earlier mistake, Madrid keeper Iker Casillas may feel he could have done better with both of Milan`s goals.

The first saw the Spain number one beaten at his right-hand post by Pirlo`s 35-yard thunderbolt, and he then raced out to meet Massimo Ambrosini`s through-ball only to see the ball slid past him off the rain-soaked surface and present Pato with an open net.

Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini, lacking Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Ruud van Nistelrooy through injury, opted to give Royston Drenthe a chance and the move proved to be an inspired one as the Dutchman drew Madrid level with 14 minutes to go.

The former Feyenoord man has suffered from the Bernabeu boo boys in the past, but he sent the stadium into raptures as he brought down Raul`s corner on the edge of the box before drilling home a low left-footed shot just inside the post.

However, that was not enough to earn Madrid a point as Milan claimed the spoils thanks to Pato`s late strike.

The visitors really should have gone ahead moments earlier when Thiago Silva saw an apparently good goal controversially ruled out after he headed home a corner.

But Leonardo`s men need not have worried as in the 88th minute former Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf picked out the unmarked Pato and he volleyed home at the far post.

Real Madrid	AC Milan
1 Iker Casillas	1 Dida
18 Raúl Albiol	33 Thiaguinho
3 Pepe	13 Alessandro Nesta
22 Xabi Alonso	15 Gianluca Zambrotta
12 Marcelo	44 Massimo Oddo
4 Sergio Ramos	21 Andrea Pirlo
8 Kaká	23 Massimo Ambrosini
24 Esteban Granero	10 Clarence Seedorf
10 Lassana Diarra	80 Ronaldinho
11 Karim Benzema	9 Filippo Inzaghi
7 Raúl	7 Pato