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Catania 1:1 AC Milan - match report

Scorers: Pato 55 (M), Spinesi 63 ©

Alexandre Pato's opener was cancelled out in Catania, but the home side can complain at two disallowed goals.

The Sicilians had lost four on the trot, but had already defeated Milan over two legs on their way to the Coppa Italia semi-final earlier this season. Having said that, their last Serie A victory over the Rossoneri was in May 1963. Kaka was out with a knee injury and Andrea Pirlo rested.

Alexandre Pato was immediately dangerous, halted for a very tight offside position and a left-foot strike charged down. Silvestre just failed to get on the end of a set-piece at the back post.

Pato got down the right channel and sparked a promising move, but Clarence Seedorf's finish was deflected out for a corner by the desperate Mark Edusei with the goalkeeper sliding in.

Zeljko Kalac bravely plucked a Gennaro Sardo cross off Giuseppe Mascara's foot, causing pain to the little finger he dislocated just over a week ago.

Pato continued to test Ciro Polito from distance and Pippo Inzaghi nodded a Marcos Cafu cross just past the post.

In the second half Seedorf's free kick was too high to trouble Polito, while at the other end Martinez failed to make the most of a promising opportunity.

The disappointing match sprung to life thanks to 18-year-old Pato. He shook off three Catania players 25 metres out, then unleashed a right-foot snapshot that bounced just in front of Polito to slip into the far bottom corner of the net.

Inzaghi also scored on 62 minutes, but it was correctly disallowed for an offside position.

It proved decisive, as moments later substitute Gionatha Spinesi equalised for Cataia, springing the offside trap to nod in a Vargas cross from the left. Spinesi had only been on the field for four minutes and was surprisingly out of the starting XI after coming under pressure from fans for missing a penalty last week.

Catania hit the back of the net again soon after, but it was disallowed for Silvestri's soft push on Daniele Bonera. Kalac blocked a Martinez header, as the Sicilians were now pouring forward.

The Elefanti had a second goal disallowed for a tight Colucci offside position, but Milan seemed to lose all momentum after Inzaghi's attempt was ruled out.

Polito got a scare from Pato late on, but neither side was able to get past the 1-1 scoreline.

Catania: Polito; Sardo (Spinesi 59), Silvestri, Stovini, Silvestre, Varagas; Colucci, Edusei, Baiocco; Martinez (Alvarez 84), Mascara

Milan: Kalac; Cafu (Oddo 67), Bonera, Maldini, Favalli; Brocchi (Gattuso 79), Emerson, Ambrosini; Seedorf; Pato, Inzaghi (Gilardino 77)

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MILAN-LAZIO

GOALKEEPERS: Fiori, Kalac, Offredi;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Darmian, Digao, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Oddo;

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Caraglia, Emerson, Gattuso, Gianola, Gourcuff, Seedorf;

STRIKERS: Aubameyang, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Pato, Paloschi.

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MILAN-ARSENAL

GOALKEEPERS: Kalac, Fiori, Offredi

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Favalli, Kaladze, Maldini, Nesta, Oddo, Simic

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

STRIKERS: Gilardino, Inzaghi, Paloschi, Pato, Kaka.

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AC Milan 0:2 (0:2 on aggregate) Arsenal - match report

Scorers: Fabregas 84 (A), Adebayor 92 (A)

Cesc Fabregas performed a goalline clearance and scored Arsenal's late winner, as Milan's defence of the Champions League is ended.

With the first leg ending goalless, the Rossoneri needed a victory to qualify and threw on a trident attack with Kaka and Alexandre Pato supporting Champions League Final hero Pippo Inzaghi. Clarence Seedorf was not even fit for the bench, joining Marek Jankulovski, Serginho, Nelson Dida and Ronaldo on the sidelines. Arsenal made the trip without Eduardo, Tomas Rosicky and Kolo Toure', but Manuel Almunia returned between the posts.

Alexander Hleb blasted well over from distance, but the first real chance on seven minutes saw Pato dribbled past four Arsenal defenders and his left-foot strike was deflected out for a corner off Sagna.

From the resulting spot-kick the ball squirmed all the way through and Cesc Fabregas required a goalline clearance at the near post. The move continued and a cross was pushed off the head of Kakha Kaladze from seven yards.

Almunia rushed out to clear from Pato outside the box and on the counter Abou Diaby curled past the far post. It was mostly Milan in the opening stages and Inzaghi couldn't get enough power on his volley to truly trouble Almunia.

The Rossoneri had a fantastic chance on 19 minutes with Kaka sprinting away from Fabregas and crossing for the unmarked Pato at the back post, but the youngster hesitated and chipped a weak effort straight at Almunia.

Moments later Inzaghi was sent clear on goal by a Philippe Senderos header, but Gael Clichy dived in with a crucial clearance. From the corner Inzaghi's free header was off target.

Oddo held up the ball for Kaka to cut in from the right channel and hit a low snapshot inches past the base of the near post. Alessandro Nesta was struggling with a right thigh injury and passed straight to Emmanuel Adebayor, his strike fingertipped over the bar by Zeljko Kalac.

Hleb was harshly booked for simulation as he fell under a Nesta challenge just outside the box. Arsenal started to come out of their shell and Fabregas cracked a right-foot shot from the D against the bar with Kalac beaten.

Adebayor lost his footing in the box and allowed Gennaro Gattuso to clear, then the Arsenal striker scuffed from another good position. Kaka was clearly not 100 per cent fit yet after his injury worries and opted to pass to Pato rather than aim one of his trademark runs straight at the defence in acres of space.

Milan started the second half in similarly shaky fashion, as a corner came all the way to the back post for Senderos to fire straight at a grateful Kalac.

Pato drilled well wide from distance, but Andrea Pirlo gave the ball away to Adebayor foolishly in the D and Milan were fortunate Emmanuel Eboue' fired wide with only Kalac to beat.

The Rossoneri fought back as a dipping Pirlo free kick bounced just in front of Almunia and he pushed it round the upright with his forearm. Kaka went on a slalom dragging two Gunners behind him and fired wide of the near post, while Pato also shot off target.

Alberto Gilardino replaced Inzaghi and Theo Walcott came on for Eboue', as both sides tried to inject some fresh legs into attack with 20 minutes remaining. A corner was cleared to Oddo, whose snapshot hit Gilardino in front of Almunia.

There was absolute chaos in the Milan box, though. A free kick ricocheted around the area and Kalac used his legs to block Walcott's shot, eventually managing to smother it at the feet of Adebayor.

Pato didn't realise he was on side and a good counter was wasted, but soon after he skipped past Clichy and flashed a left-foot shot across the face of goal with a deflection, though the corner was not given.

Pato attempted an audacious curling shot from the edge of the area and it was easy for Almunia when he should perhaps have passed to Gilardino.

It needed a moment out of nowhere to break the deadlock in this tie and it came from Fabregas. He unleashed a sudden snapshot from 25 yards that may have taken a deflection off Nesta's elbow. on its way past Kalac at the near post.

This meant Milan needed two goals in the last five minutes to qualify, but their heads were down now and Arsenal found it easy to get a second on the counter. Kaladze failed to stop Walcott down the right and he crossed for a simple Adebayor tap-in.

Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Maldini; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka; Inzaghi (Gilardino 69), Pato

Arsenal: Almunia; Sagna, Gallas, Senderos, Clichy; Eboue’ (Walcott 70), Flamini, Fabregas, Diaby; Hleb (Gilberto 89); Adebayor

Ref: Plautz (Aus)

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