Filippo Inzaghi

[LuNo]

BERLUSCONI: "Pippo has a great footballing intelligence"

MILAN - The President continued to talk about Pippo Inzaghi: "Pippo is a vicious player. But I saw certain vices are not a bad thing. His secret? He has a great talent, which is his sense of positioning. Perhaps his touch on the ball isn't very good, but he lives for the goal. He has a great footballing intelligence, he always manages to find himself at the right place at the right time."

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

MILAN-SIENA

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Kalac;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Jankulovski, Maldini, Nesta, Serginho;

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Brocchi, Emerson, Gourcuff, Pirlo, Seedorf;

STRIKERS: Inzaghi, Ronaldo, Paloschi.

[LuNo]

AC Milan 1:0 Siena - match report

Scorer: Paloschi 63 (M)

A star is born, as 18-year-old Alberto Paloschi scored the winner 15 seconds into his Serie A debut!

The Rossoneri had risen to fifth place with a game in hand following three wins on the trot, but Alberto Gilardino was suspended, Kaka, Alexandre Pato and Gennaro Gattuso injured, so Ronaldo and Pippo Inzaghi formed an unlikely partnership. Siena were fresh from a shock 3-0 drubbing of Roma, following on from a victory over Palermo and a slender 3-2 loss to Inter.

Last season this tie ended 0-0, the first time Siena had emerged undefeated. Both goalkeepers were forced into splendid saves in the opening six minutes, as Zeljko Kalac flew to parry a Mario Frick snapshot and Alex Manninger had his palms stung by an Inzaghi counter-attack.

Siena hit the back of the net after 13 minutes, but the goal was disallowed for a very tight Tomas Locatelli offside position, as he may have been kept in play by Marek Jankulovski before he volleyed in from seven yards.

Serginho nutmegged Locatelli only to hit the side-netting, then Inzaghi spun round his marker to drill over the bar from Massimo Ambrosini's assist. Serginho was in splendid form in a rare start and some more fancy footwork sent Ronaldo clear, but Il Fenomeno's effort was charged down.

Inzaghi got in front of his marker at the near post to nod a Serginho cross on to the side-netting, while at the other end Massimo Maccarone was not alert enough to pounce on Lukas Jarolim's smart cross.

Milan made two substitutions at half-time and Manninger risked dismissal as he rushed out to clear outside the box, almost handling. Inzaghi was furious as he was stopped alone on goal for a debatable offside position, as Portanova seemed to be keeping him in play.

Yet on 51 minutes Siena went closer than anyone to a goal, Frick sweeping a right-foot strike on to the upright from nine yards.Substitute Clarence Seedorf lost the ball in midfield an Simone Vergassola launched Maccarone's counter, but Daniele Bonera did just enough to put him off and Kalac saved the shot.

Locatelli had another great chance for Siena, nodding over an empty net under no pressure. The San Siro crowd started to jeer and Carlo Ancelotti resorted to desperate measures - 18-year-old youth striker Alberto Paloschi.

It proved inspired, as 15 seconds into his debut the teen let the ball bounce and cracked a fantastic right-foot strike into the far bottom corner from the edge of the box! After Pato, another youngster made a sensational San Siro debut.

Siena were stunned, but fought back with Locatelli drilling past the post. Paloschi combined brilliantly with Inzaghi and had the crowd on its feet again, then Manninger flew to parry Seedorf's rocket from distance.

Simone Vergassola was shown a straight red card for stopping a clear scoring opportunity, as he raised his arm - albeit very close to the incident - to block Inzaghi's counter.

In the final minute Kalac performed a fantastic save on Frick's flicked header and Manninger went up for the last corner kick, but ended up causing more problems as he got in the way of teammate Simone Loria.

Milan: Kalac; Cafu, Nesta (Bonera 46), Maldini, Jankulovski; Brocchi, Ambrosini, Pirlo, Serginho (Paloschi 63); Ronaldo (Seedorf 46), Inzaghi

Siena: Manninger; Rossettini, Portanova, Loria, De Ceglie; Jarolim (Kharja 73), Codrea, Vergassola; Locatelli (Forestieri 75); Maccarone, Frick

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

MILAN-LIVORNO

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Kalac;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Kaladze, Oddo, Serginho, Simic;

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Pirlo, Seedorf;

STRIKERS: Gilardino, Inzaghi, Ronaldo, Paloschi.

[LuNo]

AC Milan 1:1 Livorno - match report

Scorers: Pulzetti 50 (L), Pirlo pen 61 (M)

Milan were held to a 1-1 home draw by Livorno, but above all the team is in shock after Ronaldo was stretchered off with a serious knee injury.

This fixture was rescheduled from December 16 due to the Rossoneri's Club World Cup commitments and was the last Serie A game to be moved from that period, but after four wins on the trot they knew another victory would see them leapfrog Fiorentina into fourth place.

Kaka, Alexandre Pato, Ronaldo and Pippo Inzaghi were injured, so Alberto Paloschi got his first start just three days after scoring in the opening 20 seconds of his Serie A debut. Yoann Gourcuff supported the 18-year-old and Alberto Gilardino. Livorno came off a 1-1 draw with Genoa and were just three points clear of the drop zone.

After five minutes Andrea Pirlo's snapshot was palmed round the near post by Marco Amelia, then back-to-back Gourcuff and Massimo Ambrosini efforts were charged down inside the box.

Ambrosini's haphazard cross turned into a shot that Amelia flapped out from under the bar. Pirlo dispossessed a player in midfield and threaded through for Paloschi, who lost his footing at the key moment and allowed Amelia to save.

Livorno had their first attempt on 18 minutes, as Francesco Tavano spun round to drill over the bar, but it was all Milan as Gourcuff smashed a powerful left-foot drive past the woodwork.

A free kick was floated to the back post and Tavano was left unmarked thanks to Massimo Oddo's error, but Ambrosini did just enough to put him off as he fired high from eight yards.

The best chance of the game so far saw Ambrosini's diving header fingertipped round the base of the post by a spectacular Amelia save. The Italian international goalkeeper was tested again by a Pirlo snapshot.

Livorno's chances of getting points here were hit when Tavano limped off clutching the back of his thigh just before half-time. Straight after the restart, Gennaro Gattuso risked a penalty with a sliding tackle on Antonio Flippini, but it was clean.

However, it was Livorno who took a shock lead on 50 minutes. Nico Pulzetti gathered a weak Kakha Kaladze clearance, took it to his stronger left foot and unleashed a rocket into the far top corner from just inside the box. It was a fine way to celebrate his 24th birthday.

Gilardino requested a penalty, but the ball ricocheted off Fabio Galante's leg and on to his arm, so was not a spot-kick offence. Carlo Ancelotti completely revamped the strikeforce with a double substitution, introducing the not 100 per cent fit Ronaldo and Inzaghi.

Within a couple of minutes the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty as Jose Luis Vidigal struck Oddo's cross. Most of the attention was on Ronaldo, who fell in that move and was stretchered off clutching his left knee. The Brazilian was crying in agony and his teammates seemed very shaken, fearing the worst.

Pirlo kept his cool to convert the spot-kick and draw Milan level, while Serginho came off the bench. Initial reports suggest Ronaldo has sustained a serious tendon injury in his left knee and the fall was not entirely dissimilar to the horrific injury he suffered on April 12, 2000.

Ambrosini moved further up the field to fill in and there were long-range efforts from Inzaghi and Diamanti.

On 76 minutes an Inzaghi diving header was somehow pushed off the line by a crucial Amelia reaction save.

In the final minute Livorno risked a winner with Pulzetti again. He was totally unmarked at the back post and came sliding on to a cross, but couldn't make decent contact and the ball was trapped under his body.

Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Bonera, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Gourcuff; Paloschi (Inzaghi 57), Gilardino (Ronaldo 57) (Serginho 62)

Livorno: Amelia; Grandoni, Knezevic, Galante; A Filippini, Pulzetti, De Vezze, Vidigal (Pavan 84), Pasquale; Tavano (Diamanti 45), Tristan (Rossini 77)

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

PARMA - MILAN

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Fiori, Kalac;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Cafu, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Nesta, Oddo, Serginho;

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Brocchi, Emerson, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Kakà, Pirlo;

STRIKERS: Gilardino, Inzaghi, Paloschi.

[LuNo]

Parma 0:0 AC Milan - match report

Milan failed to score for the first time in 14 rounds, as a 0-0 at Parma slows their push for a Champions League spot.

The Rossoneri hoped to continue their comeback towards a top four finish, but were still in shock after Ronaldo snapped the tendon in his left knee during Wednesday's rescheduled Week 16 1-1 draw with Livorno. Clarence Seedorf and Alexandre Pato were also still injured, but Kaka returned to the fold. Carlo Ancelotti, Daniele Bonera and AlbertoGilardino were facing their former club, but Bernardo Corradi and Francesco Parravicini were banned.

Milan were undefeated at the Tardini since 2003, picking up a draw and three straight wins.

Giulio Falcone turned an Andrea Pisanu corner over the bar and Pippo Inzaghi failed to make the most of a defensive error. Emerson tested Luca Bucci as he got his head to Serginho's set-piece.

On 24 minutes Kaka unleashed a rocket that flashed across the face of goal and Zeljko Kalac smothered a long-range Pisanu attempt.

Cristiano Lucarelli wanted a dismissal for Kakha Kaladze's nudge when they were clear on goal, but the referee judged it shoulder-to-shoulder and waved play on.

Reginaldo flicked on a free kick with his head and Kalac flapped it over the bar. On the resulting corner Alessandro Nesta charged down a cracking Castellini half-volley that looked ready to beat the goalkeeper at the near post.

Pisanu really should have given Parma a half-time lead when a pass rolled invitingly in front of him just seven yards out, but incredibly the Under-21 international completely missed the ball!

Milan were ineffective, so Carlo Ancelotti threw on Gilardino and Andrea Pirlo for the second half. Curiously, Nelson Dida was stretchered off during the break after his back seized up while sitting on the bench.

Within 120 seconds Pirlo had proved what a crucial player he is, as a free kick was punched away by Bucci in the Rossoneri's first real chance.

Inzaghi held off Fernando Couto for a chest and half-volley on the spin that went over the bar. Soon after, Super Pippo was stopped for an extremely tight offside flag.

Parma completely revamped their front line with Igor Budan and Andrea Gasbarroni. Within 60 seconds of coming off the bench, Gasbarroni threaded through for Budan to spring the offside trap and brought a great save out of Kalac.

On 68 minutes Kaka forced Bucci into a fantastic save with his chest and volley from 10 yards, the veteran goalkeeper at full stretch for a low fingertip touch.

There was an historic moment when Paolo Maldini replaced Marek Jankulovski, celebrating his 1,000th official match between club and international level.

Another Pirlo free kick dipped over the wall and whistled inches past the near post.

There was a triple chance moments later. Inzaghi's first attempt was charged down, Bucci stuck out a foot to parry Pippo's second and Gilardino acrobatically prodded the follow-up wide from six yards.

A Gilardino header looped over the bar from Maldini's cross, but there was a sigh of relief when MacDonald Mariga's splendid volley was denied by Kalac's desperate reaction save from point-blank range. Had it gone in then it wouldn't have counted, as he was flagged offside.

Emerson should have won it for the Rossoneri in the final minute, as Bucci flapped a cross into his path, but the Brazilian blasted over the bar under no pressure.

At the other end Kalac had his palms stung by Budan's screamer at the near post that was heading in from the tightest of angles.

Parma: Bucci; Zenoni, Couto, Falcone, Castellini; Dessena, Morrone, Cigarini (Mariga 75), Pisanu; Reginaldo (Gasbarroni 64), C Lucarelli (Budan 64)

Milan: Kalac; Cafu, Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski (Maldini 70); Gattuso (Gilardino 46), Emerson, Ambrosini, Serginho (Pirlo 46); Kakà; Inzaghi

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

[LuNo]

ARSENAL-MILAN

GOALKEEPERS: Kalac, Fiori, Offredi (30);

DEFENDERS: Cafu, Maldini, Nesta, Kaladze, Simic, Jankulovski, Favalli, Bonera, Oddo;

MIDFIELDERS: Emerson, Gattuso, Seedorf, Gourcuff, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Brocchi;

STRIKERS: Kaka, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Pato.

[sandy]

Thanks LuNo

[LuNo]

You're welcome

[LuNo]

London