Serie A Week 9 - 25/10/09 (19.45 UK)
Chievo 1 - 2 Milan
Pinzi 7 (C), Nesta 81, 92 (M)
Stadio Bentegodi
Alessandro Nesta's late brace and some Nelson Dida heroics completed Milan's comeback to beat Chievo 2-1.
Milan continue their bizarre inability to start games properly, as this season if they only played the first half of their matches, they'd have earned seven points. If they only played the second half, they would have 23.
Leonardo felt he'd found his feet at last with back-to-back wins over Roma and Real Madrid. The 4-3-3 was reshuffled with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar receiving a rare start upfront. Massimo Ambrosini was suspended with Gennaro Gattuso, Daniele Bonera, Oguchi Onyewu, Christian Abbiati and Marco Storari injured, so Nelson Dida kept the gloves despite the midweek Bernabeu howler. Chievo were a point behind Milan and had lost only one of their previous five games. Mario Yepes began a two-match ban, plus Luca Rigoni and Fabio Moro were both sidelined.
Chievo went close in the opening 90 seconds. as Luciano's cross was not dealt with effectively and bounced around in front of the goal before Huntelaar cleared. Moments later Michele Marcolini unleashed one of his trademark screamers that Dida pushed wide.
The Flying Donkeys were dominating the early phases and took a deserved lead. Mantovani got to the byline and crossed in, Pellissier's dummy let it through for Giampaolo Pinzi's strike from nine yards.
Moments later Erjon Bogdani got down the right and cut back for Pellissier's daisy-cutter, which Dida smothered at the second attempt.
Clarence Seedorf had the first real Milan opportunity, as Luca Antonini sprinted to the byline and pulled it back for the Dutchman, who hesitated just a split second and saw his shot charged down by Sorrentino.
Andrea Pirlo flashed a long-range effort wide of the upright, while Mantovani's acrobatic clearance prevented Pato going clear on a Ronaldinho cross. Sorrentino had to leap above the crowd to flap a looping Alessandro Nesta header out of the top corner, but Ronaldinho was unable to make the most of the rebound.
Pellissier got away from Massimo Oddo to latch on to Pinzi's cross, the volley swinging over the bar.
Straight after the restart a well-worked team move saw Ronaldinho thread through for Pato and Sorrentino ran out to charge him down, the ball fell to Pirlo in the D for a lob off target.
Huntelaar ran on to a splendid Pato flick with the outside of his boot, but defender Morero's sliding tackle did just enough. Moments later a Pato pull-back for Ronaldinho was deflected just wide of the near post and from the corner Dinho was again blocked.
Somehow the Rossoneri failed to score at the 53rd minute. A series of shots rained in during the same move from Pato, Seedorf and Ronaldinho, but Sorrentino pushed the ball off the line when he was practically inside the goal.
Marco Borriello replaced the ineffective Huntelaar, but Chievo threatened on the counter when Pellissier pushed past Thiago Silva and Nesta waited for the right moment to tackle him in the box.
Borriello's glancing header from an Oddo cross was gathered with some difficulty by Sorrentino. Borriello trapped the ball and spun round, but couldn't get enough power to beat the goalkeeper.
Seedorf carried on a cross with his chest to get past the defender and a fierce snapshot from the penalty spot was palmed away by the excellent Sorrentino. From the corner Iori charged down Oddo's strike, as it was turning into a siege.
Leonardo threw on Pippo Inzaghi for Ronaldinho and Milan equalised moments later. Pirlo's free kick was charged down, but he curled it back into the six-yard box for Borriello's header onto the underside of the bar. Nesta nodded in the loose ball for a rare Serie A goal.
Pirlo threaded through for Mathieu Flamini and in to Inzaghi, but Sorrentino parried the flick from point-blank range.
Dida may have embarrassed himself midweek, but he made up for it with an incredible save in stoppages. He was going the other way when Granoche's header went towards the far top corner, but he stuck out a hand for a reaction save from a yard!
It proved decisive, as moments later a corner was whipped to the back post for another Nesta header! It took a slight deflection to beat Sorrentino, but the Milan defender really didn't mind.
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Chievo: Sorrentino; Frey, Morero, Mandelli, Mantovani; Luciano, Iori (Bentivoglio 85), Marcolini (Ariatti 79); Pinzi; Pellissier, Bogdani (Granoche 66)
Milan: Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Antonini (Zambrotta 88); Flamini, Pirlo, Seedorf; Pato, Huntelaar (Borriello 60), Ronaldinho (Inzaghi 79)
Ref: Bergonzi
highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqhHQ7tRyuw
