ATALANTA-MILAN

GOALKEEPERS: Kalac, Fiori, Offredi;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Digao, Favalli, Kaladze, Nesta, Oddo, Simic;

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

ATTACKERS: Gilardino, Kakà, Pato, Ronaldo.

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Atalanta 2:1 AC Milan - match report

Scorers: Gattuso 16 (M), Langella 42 (A), Tissone 68 (A)

Milan dominated possession, but Alexandre Pato's misses proved decisive as Atalanta emerged with a shock 2-1 victory in the rescheduled Week 12 game.

This match was abandoned on November 11 after just eight minutes when Atalanta fans threatened to riot if play continued despite the death earlier that day of a Lazio supporter. When it was replayed behind closed doors, Alexandre Pato had become an official Milan player and partnered Alberto Gilardino, who was fresh from a winning stoppage-time goal away to Udinese this past weekend. Zeljko Kalac filled in for the injured Nelson Dida, while Andrea Pirlo returned from suspension.

Cristiano Doni fired over from a promising position, while Fernando Coppola rushed out to close down Pato. Milan started to pile on the pressure as Kakha Kaladze had a great chance from a corner and Clarence Seedorf's follow-up from the edge of the box was turned out for another set-piece.

Moments later the Rossoneri took the lead with an unlikely hero. Gennaro Gattuso's cross-shot took a deflection off Doni to fly past a helpless Coppola. If it is eventually credited to Gattuso, it will be only his seventh Serie A goal.

Milan continued to dominate with Pirlo's free kick and a Gilardino header off target before Coppola palmed Pato's snapshot from a tight angle round the post.

The 18-year-old should have done better on 34 minutes, as he pounced on Moris Carrozzieri's error only to fire wide with only the goalkeeper to beat. Pato also failed to make the most of a Kaka cross that Gila had dummied for the youngster at the back post.

These proved to be costly errors, as just before the break Atalanta equalised. Guarente held up the ball for Antonio Langella to dribble past two defenders with a smart feint and rifle his finish past Kalac.

Langella went on the counter and just failed to double his tally, while Gilardino's goal was disallowed for a clear offside position. There were penalty appeals for Carrozzieri's clumsy challenge on Gilardino, but the referee waved play on.

Ronaldo replaced the disappointing Pato, who had wasted so many good chances in the first half, while Doni went off with a thigh problem.

Atalanta focused mainly on pressuring Milan all over the park and it's a tactic that paid off on 68 minutes. Bellini's pass over the defence cut out Kakha Kaladze, so substitute Simone Inzaghi drew out Kalac and rolled across for Fernando Tissone to tap into an empty net.

Inzaghi fired straight at Kalac on the counter and a Carrozzieri daisy-cutter skimmed the base of the near post.

On 76 minutes Ronaldo pounced on a terrible backpass and was clear on goal, but blasted the ball at goalkeeper Coppola from point-blank range. It was another costly miss from the wasteful Milan strikers.

Atalanta thought they had put the win beyond doubt, but when Tissone's screamer ricocheted off the crossbar and was tapped back in by Sergio Floccari, the former Messina striker was offside.

Coppola kept his men in front with a desperate save on Kaka, put through by Seedorf. In stoppages Massimo Oddo drilled over from a corner kick.

Atalanta: Coppola; Rivalta, Carrozzieri, Pellegrino, Bellini; Ferreira Pinto, Tissone (Padoin 80), Guarente, Langella (De Ascentis 65); Doni (S Inzaghi 54); Floccari

Milan: Kalac; Bonera (Oddo 71), Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso (Gourcuff 83), Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato (Ronaldo 64), Gilardino

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MILAN-GENOA

GOALKEEPERS: Kalac, Fiori;

DEFENDERS: Cafu, Favalli, Kaladze, Maldini, Nesta, Oddo;

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

STRIKERS: Gilardino, Kakà, Pato.

Milan better win today

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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

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."