Emirates Cup 2010 : AC milan 1 Lyon 1

MILAN: Amelia; Oddo, Papstathopoulos (62' Yepes), Bonera, Zambrotta (68' Antonini); Strasser, Seedorf, Flamini (46' Gattuso); Merkel (80' Novinic), Borriello (77' Beretta), Verdi (58' Pato)

LYON: Loris; Gassama (60' Reveiller), Cris, Cissokho; Gonalons, Pjanic, Bastos (46' Pied), Toulalan, Ederson (80' Kallstrom); Briand (90' Tafer), Gomis (64' Lacazette, 85' Novillo)

SCORERS: 55' Borriello (M); 79' Briand (L)

CAUTIONED: 39' Sokratis (M)

Milan's second match in the Emirates Cup finished 1-1 against Olympique Lyon. The Rossoneri went ahead on 55 minutes through Borriello, set up by Verdi, and on 79 minutes Briand equalised with a header.

Cagliari 2 Milan 3 , bravo boriello, bravo huntelaar....

CAGLIARI: Marchetti; Pisano, Canini, Astori, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, Lazzari; Cossu; Matri, Ragatzu.
MILAN: Dida; Abate, Thiago Silva, Favalli, Antonini; Seedorf, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Huntelaar, Borriello, Ronaldinho.

Milan need just one half to take home the win against Cagliari: the Rossoneri win 3-2 and obtain the three points in a Saturday in which also Inter and Roma win. Everything happens in the first half: Borriello opens the score, Ragatzu equalizes, then Huntelaar puts Milan back in the lead before Matri equalizes once again. However, a defensive mistake of Cagliari leads to Astori’s own goal which is worth the 3-2. In the second half, a more covered Milan side and a more dangerous Cagliari team, but on the Rossoblu’s road there’s a great Dida. Here’s the match: Milan on the pitch to find back the win, following the defeat of Parma and the draw against Lazio. At the Sant’Elia Leonardo presents an attacking side, trident with Seedorf: with 11 players out (injuries and Flamini suspended), the coach welcomes back Pirlo and Ronaldinho. In defence the central duo is made up of Favalli and Thiago Silva again, on the wings Abate and Antonini. Apart from Pirlo, in midfeld space for the recovered Ambrosini and Seedorf, behind the trident with the Brazilian, Huntelaar on the right and Borriello in the middle. Allegri recovers more or less everyone, apart from Parola and Nene, suspended. In attack the coach prefers Ragatzu to Larrivey. With him Matri, who had an excellent season, and it is this player who is dangerous at the start of the game. However, Milan changes gear and finds the goal with Marco Borriello in the 7th minute: triangle with Seedorf and ball past Marchetti. Cagliari’s counter attacks are productive, as in the 16th Ragatzu finds the ball in front of the Milan goalkeeper. Conti opens up the visual for goal, Antonini keeps him in play and scores the equalizer. Not even a minute passes by and Leonardo’s team re-takes the lead: Huntelaar finds a spectacular goal with a left footer from the distance which is unstoppable for Marchetti. The Rossoblu are once again good to finish their move. In the 32nd minute Milan loses ball in midfield, the home team counter attacks, Cossu sends the ball forward for Matri who beats Dida: 2-2. Caglari is very good in attack, but also careless in defence. In the 37th minute a mixup in defence between Astori and Marchetti which leads to the defenders own goal for the 3-2. In the second half the game remains nice, but less lively in attacking zones. Milan is more solid following the substitution of Zambrotta for Huntelaar, but Borriello is too alone upfront and the Rossoneri push less. The best Rossoneri’s chance is represented by a Ronaldinho freekick. It ends 3-2: the Rossoneri remain in the run.

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

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.