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AC Milan 2:0 Genoa - match report

Scorer: Pato 68, 82 (M)

Alexandre Pato bagged his first Serie A brace in a difficult victory over 10-man Genoa.

The Rossoneri's hopes of fighting back to a top four finish were dealt a heavy blow with their rescheduled Week 12 defeat to Atalanta midweek. The Brazilian trident system was shelved due to Ronaldo's injury, so Clarence Seedorf returned to a Trequartisa role. Zeljko Kalac deputised for the injured Nelson Dida. Genoa had won their last three on the trot and had Milan-owned striker Marco Borriello on stunning form with 11 goals, but only three of them outside Marassi. Domenico Criscito sat out a ban.

Genoa had not scored in this Serie A fixture for their last three visits, nor earned a point since the 1-1 draw in November 1991. Their most recent victory at San Siro was a 5-1 result in May 1958.

Seedorf's first touch wasted a great chance set up by Paolo Maldini's backheel flick, then Pato fired wide on the bounce after running on to a Kaka searching pass.

Pato had another chance moments later, outspriting his marker to flash a shot across the face of goal, but he wasted a golden opportunity on the half-hour mark. Kaka's deflected effort fell to the teenager from eight yards, but he toe-poked the ball straight at Rubinho.

Andrea Pirlo's right-foot rocket from distance dipped just over the bar, while Fabiani was off target for the Grifone and Alessandro Nesta's error almost gifted Borriello an opener, testing Kalac at the near post.

In the second half both teams appeared to wake up. Seedorf fired over and Kalac proved decisive on Borriello following Kakha Kaladze's error. A splendid Kaka first touch caught Massimo Oddo's pass and Rubinho did well to smother the shot with his body.

From the resulting corner Milan wanted a spot-kick for an Abdoulay Konko handling offence to charge down Maldini's effort, but the referee waved play on.

It was now a very open game and Borriello shook off Kaladze to volley over the bar. There were dozens of chances with Pato, Kaka and Ambrosini.

They eventually managed to make their opportunities count with Pato's second goal in as many home games. Seedorf held up Maldini's cross for Pato to loop a header across the face of goal.

Moments later Pato was running clear on goal and Rubinho rushed out of the area to block the lob with his arm, an inevitable red card offence. Substitute Alessio Scarpi came on for Omar Milanetto and his first task was to watch Pirlo's free kick skim the near post, but soon after smothered a good Pato opportunity.

Yet Genoa threatened an equaliser with a classic counter-attack, Oddo bravely flinging himself in the path of Borriello's finish.

Seedorf sent Pato clear again and although Scarpi got a hand to his lob, he could do nothing on the follow-up in front of an open goal.

Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo (Emerson 83), Ambrosini; Kakà, Seedorf; Pato

Genoa: Rubinho; Santos, Bovo, Danilo; Konko, Milanetto (Scarpi 71), Juric, Fabiano; Rossi (Figueroa 71), Borriello, Sculli

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IMPORTANT VICTORY

"It was very important to win today. Slowly but surely we are getting important points and we are getting closer to our objective, which is fourth place." - THE WORDS OF THE ROSSONERI -

MILAN - Here are the declarations of the rossoneri after Milan-Genoa 2-0:

KAKA':

"It was very important to win today, and we did. Slowly but surely we are getting important points and we are getting closer to our objective, which is fourth place. In the second half we managed to break the deadlock and from then on everything was easier. When we play at San Siro we always try to take the lead as soon as possible. In first half however, it was a tough, difficult match, we studied our opponents and we took off after scoring the first goal in the second half. Also today I received a few knocks, but by now I'm used to it and I don't complain. Us strikers only ask the referees to protect us, but sometimes it can happen they don't notice some of the meaner fouls.

The balance of 2008 so far is positive, because we have won three games out of four, things are going better and now getting three points away to Reggina would be crucial.

Pato? He is integrating himself within the team and he's starting to learn more about Italian football, today he was very important and scored a splendid brace.

Ronaldo has only suffered from a bit of tiredness because of the many matches we are playing every three days and the traveling, but despite that he is integrating himself with the team again and is recovering from his injury. He'll be back soon."

MASSIMO ODDO:

"Today I came on the pitch and had the opportunity to find more spaces which allowed me to get towards the by-line and send in some dangerous crosses, but we always have to be careful and maintain our balance. Also today I got a few knocks, but these are part of the game and you give exactly what you get. I don't think this was a mean match, and I think the referee handled it well. There were a few fouls, but also the referees can make some mistakes, it's normal. I think that from now on, we have to try and be more cynical and take better advantage of the chances we get.

Personally, I think this was one of my best performances of the season, I found the right spaces. At other times it happens that there is little space to play and you are forced to look for different solutions. You always have to be good to understand the match and try to find the most appropriate solutions. Sometimes teams tend to close themselves up and force us to play on the wings. When we manage to be quick it's easier to find your way to the goal, while when you are more predictable it's tough to find space."

PATO:

"I'm very happy about these two goals, especially because they helped us win the game.

I feel very happy and emotional about Milan's victory. In the first half I missed a chance and during the break my team mates calmed me down."

CLARENCE SEEDORF:

"We are very comfortable with each other because we have a good chemistry within the squad. I'm especially happy for Pato and his brace. I've always said he is a young player, he should be protected by the club, by the coach and by us team mates so he can always be serene and do what he does best on the pitch. He's an intelligent lad, but I repeat, he's very young. When you are only eighteen, you still need to learn a lot, and I'm not just talking about football but about life. Being one of the best players in the world could lead to being surrounded by some wrong people, that's why we need to protect him.

Even though the referees can make mistakes, it's always a pleasure to see that Milan are always correct and elegant and if you have to protest it's better to do it when you win rather than when you lose because in that case it might be seen as trying to find an alibi."

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Reggina 0:1 AC Milan - match report

Scorer: Gilardino 18 (M)

Alberto Gilardino's goal proved enough to maintain Milan's climb up the table as they conquer Reggina 1-0 in a rescheduled Week 15 tie.

This match was rescheduled from December 9, 2007 due to the Rossoneri's participation in the Club World Cup in Japan. Nelson Dida, Ronaldo and Pippo Inzaghi were injured, so Alexandre Pato partnered Alberto Gilardino just three days after the Brazilian teenager bagged both goals in the 2-0 victory over Genoa. Reggina were fresh from a 2-2 draw away to Atalanta, where they fought back from 2-0 down, but Emil Halfredsson and Nicola Amoruso were sidelined.

Gennaro Gattuso scored a rare goal against Atalanta last week, albeit with the aid of a deflection, and he tried to repeat the trick with a fierce right-foot drive that the 'keeper palmed out for a corner. Pato, Kaka and Reggina's Emmanuel Cascione had efforts from distance.

Milan broke the deadlock after 18 minutes with under-fire Alberto Gilardino. An Andrea Pirlo cross found Gila unmarked at the back post and although Andrea Campagnolo got a hand to it, the free header was too powerful and squeezed in. It was the former Parma striker's seventh Serie A goal of the season, all of them away from home.

Moments later Gilardino nodded a Pirlo free kick just over, but he was in an offside position. Alvarez did well to close down Kaka as he ran on to an inspired chipped Pirlo pass, but Gattuso had another two attempts from the edge of the box, the second bringing a save out of Campagnolo.

Reggina's first real scoring opportunity was on 32 minutes, as Fabio Ceravolo got away from Alessandro Nesta and tested Zeljko Kalac at the near post.

Pato fired over from the D and Kaka drilled just wide before the break, while Gattuso and Simone Missiroli had long-range efforts after the restart.

The Amaranto threw on January signing Cristian Stuani and Campagnolo fingertipped a Pirlo set-piece out for a corner.

In the space of 20 seconds Milan had two fantastic opportunities to double their advantage. First Pirlo's free kick was curled over the wall and on to the crossbar, then as the move continued Campagnolo performed an incredible point-blank reaction save on Emerson.

A splendid Pato volley flashed wide of the near post, but the 18-year-old wasted a counter with a terrible finish. Gilardino was at full stretch to toe-poke a Massimo Oddo cross just past the far post.

Substitutes Cristian Brocchi and Yoann Gourcuff kept the Reggina defence busy late on.

Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo (Brocchi 82), Emerson; Kakà; Pato (Gourcuff 82), Gilardino

Reggina: Campagnalo; Lanzaro, Cirillo, Aronica; Alvarez, Cascione (Barreto 68), Cozza, Modesto; Vigiani (Montiel 74), Missiroli; Ceravolo (Stuani 61)

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