Alessandro Nesta

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MILAN-SEVILLA

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Fiori, Kalac;

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

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

STRIKERS: Aubameyang, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Ronaldo.

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Milan 3-1 Sevilla

Milan: Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Gattuso (Emerson 73), Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kakà, Seedorf (Brocchi 89); Inzaghi (Gilardino 88)

Sevilla: Palop; Daniel Alves, Escudè (Luis Fabiano 82), Marti (Kerzhakov 65), Dragutinovic; Jesus Navas, Poulsen, Keita, Duda (Maresca 74); Renato, Kanoutè

Goals:

0-1, Renato 24'

1-1, Inzaghi 56'

2-1, Jankulovski 62'

3-1, Kaka 87

Ref: Plautz (Aus)

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European SuperCup: AC Milan 3:1 Sevilla - match report

Milan have won the European Super Cup 3-1 over Sevilla on an emotional night in Monaco, including Marek Jankulovski’s stunning strike.

Both clubs have been here before, but this was a game like no other. Tragedy hung over the 2007 European Super Cup after the death of 22-year-old Sevilla player Antonio Puerta this week from multiple cardiac arrests.

UEFA and Sevilla insisted the tie go ahead “as a tribute to Puerta” and all the team shirts had ‘Puerta’ written on them under the squad numbers. The minute’s absolute silence and black armbands also marked the deceased player.

Sevilla were hoping to win this trophy for the second consecutive year, while Champions League holders Milan aimed for a record fifth triumph. Ronaldo and Paolo Maldini were injured, but Nelson Dida recovered to start and Emerson had his first spot on the bench. Christian Poulsen surprisingly played central defence for the Spaniards.

In the first three minutes a woeful Massimo Oddo clearance was struck wide by Renato, but Milan went even closer moments later.

Pippo Inzaghi sprung the offside trap on Clarence Seedorf’s through ball and cut back past Poulsen, but Kaka pounced and thumped the upright from six yards. The Brazilian – top scorer in last year’s Champions League and this week voted Player of the Tournament – should perhaps have left it to Inzaghi.

Rino Gattuso was first into the book for a late tackle on Jesus Navas, while Oddo’s first touch let him down on an inspired Andrea Pirlo pass over the defence.

It was Sevilla who took the lead against the run of play. Marek Jankulovski gave away a needless corner and from that kick Dida was stuck in no man’s land, allowing Renato to prod it over the line from point-blank range. The entire Sevilla side came together in a circle and pointed at the sky, honouring their fallen teammate.

The Rossoneri defence was struggling with several misplaced passes and Duda just failed to get on the end of a Freddie Kanoute’ assist. There was absolute chaos on 23 minutes when a couple of defensive errors left Kanoute’ clear on goal and cut back for Renato, but Alessandro Nesta performed a decisive goalline clearance to keep the score at 1-0.

Kaka sparked a move that Poulsen intercepted before Gattuso could set up Inzaghi. Incredibly, a corner kick was touched on by Nesta and Seedorf’s diving free header was over from six yards.

Jankulovski wasted a golden opportunity from Massimo Ambrosini’s left-flank low cross, but Kanoute’ was given far too much space to turn and smash a right-foot shot wide.

Poulsen’s sliding tackle saved a certain goal on the stroke of half-time, as Pirlo’s slide-rule pass had sent Ambrosini clear, but the Dane plucked the ball off his foot as he pulled the trigger. Palop rushed out to block another fine Pirlo assist for Inzaghi.

Super Pippo hit the back of the net in first half stoppages from a Seedorf through ball, but it was disallowed for a tight offside decision. In a beautiful gesture during the break, a Milan banner hailing Puerta was passed along to the Sevilla end of the Stade Louis II in Monaco.

Seedorf went for glory rather than passing to Inzaghi and Ambrosini’s long-range effort was deflected out. From the resulting corner, Pirlo’s backheel sent Gattuso down the right and his cross found Inzaghi’s precise free header at the back post.

Sevilla had been under pressure since the restart, but Kanoute’s cross was just too powerful for Duda. Gattuso needed to be patched up after an accidental elbow from Keita left him with a deep cut over his eye. He insisted on carrying on even with a huge bandage covering the top of his face and it later emerged he required four or five stitches.

Milan were in control now and took the lead on the hour mark with a stunning goal from Jankulovski. The left-back clipped a brilliant low volley from Pirlo’s inspired long cross-field ball, at a precise angle into the far bottom corner. It was the Czech’s first ever European club goal.

Sevilla threw on forward Kerzhakov, but only a brilliant Poulsen tackle stopped Kaka running end to end. Gattuso was finally convinced to leave the field due to his head injury and gave Emerson his debut.

Enzo Maresca replaced Duda and took a central role for the final push, but Keita nodded a corner kick over from six yards. Substitute Luis Fabiano also failed to make the most of a promising opportunity.

However, another divine Pirlo crossfield pass found Kaka and Dragutinovic mistimed his tackle to snap at the Brazilian’s ankle. Kaka took the penalty himself and it was saved by Palop, but the ball ricocheted off his face and back on to the Milan man’s head. The goal was scored under the Sevilla end and Kaka celebrated by pointing to the ‘Puerta’ name on the back of his shirt.

Seedorf went off as a substitute and also held up the shirt with only Puerta’s name showing to the entire crowd. Milan had suggested postponing this European Super Cup, but agreed to go ahead only if Sevilla wanted it.

It was nearly 3-2 in stoppages as Kerzhakov nodded the ball across the face of goal where Maresca hit the post from point-blank range.

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AC Milan - Fiorentina 1-1

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AC Milano-Torino 0-0

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SHAKHTAR-MILAN

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Kalac, Fiori;

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

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

ATTACKERS:Gilardino, Inzaghi, Ronaldo, Kakà.

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Shakhtar Donetsk 0:3 AC Milan

Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov; Srna, Chygrynskiy, Yezerskiy, Rat (William 73); Ilsinho, Hubschman, Fernandinho; Jadson; Lucarelli (Castillo 77), Brandao (Gladkiy 84)

Milan: Dida; Bonera, Nesta, Kaladze, Serginho (Brocchi 84); Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf (Maldini 79), Kaka; Gilardino (Inzaghi 63)

Goals:

0-1, Inzaghi, 66'

0-2, Kaka, 72'

0-3, Inzaghi, 93'

Ref: Vink (Ned)

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Shakhtar Donetsk 0:3 AC Milan - match report

Super Pippo Inzaghi came off the bench to change the game by scoring two and setting up another for Kaka as Milan won 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Rossoneri had demolished Donetsk 4-1 at San Siro on October 24, but came into this tie off the back of a dismal Serie A run of results. It was a head-to-head battle for leadership of Group D and Ronaldo made his first Champions League appearance for the club, albeit on the bench. Serginho made a rare start at left-back, as Marek Jankulovski was injured. Shakhtar left out Olexander Kucher, whose poor marking of Alberto Gilardino gave away two goals in their last meeting.

There was a minute's silence before kick-off and both teams wore black armbands to mark the passing of Milan's Swedish legend Nils Liedholm.

Andriy Pyatov smothered an early Serginho effort and Brandao just failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross from six yards, while Razvan Rat's free kick skimmed the upright. Mircea Lucescu had warned he would field a far more prudent squad and that was certainly the case, as the tempo slowed to a crawl.

Milan had a fine chance on 12 minutes when Alberto Gilardino chested down Andrea Pirlo's pass, but was closed down by a defender as he pulled the trigger.

There was almost a disastrous double howler, as Serginho's wayward clearance on a Rat cross went straight up into the air and Nelson Dida fumbled the ball, but captured it back before Brandao could tap into an empty net.

Gilardino's glancing header from Serginho's cross at the end of a long team move was off target, while Jadson's free kick was nodded straight into Dida's grateful arms by Dmytro Chygrynskiy. Kaka went into the book for a late tackle on Ilsinho and Gennaro Gattuso was carded for dissent.

There was real danger on 33 minutes, as Alessandro Nesta flung himself at Cristiano Lucarelli's feet to charge down his shot and Dida got a fingertip to Darijo Srna's follow-up that flashed across the face of goal.

Pirlo got his body in front of a Jadson strike from the edge of the area, as Shakhtar finally came out of their shell. Gilardino got a knock to the back and was limping for the final stages of the first half.

Straight after the restart Kakha Kaladze's poor clearance found Fernandinho for a daisy-cutter that shaved a coat of paint off the base of the upright with Dida beaten.

Milan were incredibly unlucky on 56 minutes, as Massimo Ambrosini's long looping header from Pirlo's free kick thumped the far post with the goalkeeper stranded and Gilardino could not turn in the rebound.

Gilardino was still not entirely recovered from that knock to the back and made way for Pippo Inzaghi. Pyatov plucked a Kaka header out of the air from a Pirlo corner kick, but Carlo Ancelotti's substitution proved to be inspired.

Within a couple of minutes of stepping on to the field after a long injury lay-off, Inzaghi ran on to Pirlo's through ball in the centre to thump a powerful quickly taken right-foot strike past Pyatov from 10 yards.

Dida grabbed Brandao's free header from close-range, as the Shakhtar striker hit it straight at the goalkeeper. Ambrosini was booked and will be suspended for the trip to Benfica.

Inzaghi changed the game completely, as he also set up Kaka for Milan's second. He held up the ball and drew three defenders to him before sliding it across for Kaka to curl in off the inside of the far post with the inside of his right foot.

Shakhtar were hit hard, but tried to aim from distance with Dida smothering a Jadson attempt. There was bad news for the Ukrainians, as Lucarelli limped off with a muscular problem. Paolo Maldini replaced Clarence Seedorf, moving the squad to a 4-4-2 with Serginho on the left of midfield.

The Rossoneri were fortunate not to concede moments later, as Pirlo was caught in possession and Fernandinho rushed into the area for a shot that was deflected just past the far post by Kaladze. Milan wasted a golden opportunity on the counter, as Kaka tried to pass to Inzaghi rather than shoot inside the box.

Dida got down to pin another Jadson strike, but Ronaldo was not to make his comeback here, as the final substitution saw Cristian Brocchi step on for the not 100 per cent fit Serginho.

It still wasn't over, as Inzaghi completed his brace in stoppages when Kaka returned the favour with an altruistic assist. The Brazilian was clear on the counter-attack, but rolled across to the unmarked Inzaghi, who was behind the line of the ball and therefore not offside, to fire home.

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ATALANTA-MILAN

GOALKEEPERS: Dida, Kalac, Fiori;

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

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

STRIKERS: Inzaghi, Ronaldo.

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THE WORDS OF NESTA

BERGAMO - Here are the declarations of Alessandro Nesta after the suspension of Atalanta-Milan: "All of us players came on the pitch convinced we would play, then unfortunately the fans started to break down the barriers that separated them from the pitch to have the match suspended, and at that moment there was no police on the pitch that could intervene. Football is the mirror image of what's going on outside the stadium."

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THE FOOTBALL OSCARS

MILAN - Rossoneri players Andrea Pirlo, Ricky Kakà and Sandro Nesta were among the nominated players for the Football Oscars of 2007, assigned by Aic.

Kaká and Pirlo, along with Totti, De Rossi, Ibrahimovic and Mutu, will contend the Oscar for best overall player.

The ceremony for the 11th edition of this award will take place on 28 January at the Auditorium in Milan. Here are all the nominations:

Best Italian player: Pirlo, Totti, De Rossi

Best foreign player: Kaká, Ibrahimovic, Mutu

Best goalkeeper: Frey, Julio Cesar, Peruzzi

Best young player: Montolivo, Pazzini, G.Rossi

Best defender: Nesta, Materazzi, Mexes

Best overall player: chosen among the winners of the categories 'best italian' and 'best foreign player'

Champion of champions: chosen among the ten winners of the 'best overall player' from 1997 to 2007

There will also be three special Sportitalia prizes, which will be subjected to the judgement of the TV viewers:

Best goal

Fan of the year

Fan award (footballer most loved by the public)

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