|
|
AC Milan 2-1 Juventus: Boateng & Seedorf belters earn victory for Serie A champions
Despite a superior second-half display by the Turin side, capped by a Mirko Vucinic strike, they lost their grip on the Trofeo Berlusconi at San Siro
By Kris Voakes
First-half strikes from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Clarence Seedorf were enough to see off the visitors, for whom Mirko Vucinic pulled one back early in the second period.
Milan’s opening goal was a stunner. With less than nine minutes gone, Gennaro Gattuso thumped a cross-field ball to the far edge of Juventus’ penalty area, from where Boateng hit a glorious volley across Gianluigi Buffon and into the far bottom corner of the net.
Midway through the half they’d added a second goal of real quality. After a seemingly harsh call of handball ajjgainst Arturo Vidal, Seedorf stepped up and sent a delightful 25-yard free-kick over the wall and off the inside of Buffon’s left-hand post.
As Juve attempted to get back into the game, Claudio Marchisio hit a superb left-foot strike of the far post from distance with Christian Abbiati well beaten. It was beginning to look like it just wasn’t their night.
It took them until the 57th minute to get on the scoresheet as Vucinic broke into the left channel, and with Massimo Ambrosini filling in at the back with Alessandro Nesta off receiving treatment, the Montenegrin was given the extra split-second he needed to poke the ball past Abbiati with his right foot.
Alessandro Del Piero looked destined to equalised 10 minutes later when he got in behind the defence on the right, but his toe-prod was blocked by Abbiati as the home side increasingly lived on their nerves. Another chance went begging when Milos Krasic failed to get enough on the ball as he aimed to take it around the keeper.
The game could have been safe for Milan had Kingsley Boateng’s effort come back off the far post with Buffon beaten, but instead they were left to cling on for the final few minutes before being able to celebrate a return to winning ways after Thursday’s Trofeo TIM defeats.
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker Real Madrid |
5 | 1 |
|
|
Karim Benzema
Striker Real Madrid |
5 | 0 |
|
|
Heiðar Helguson
Striker QPR |
5 | 0 |
|
|
Jason Roberts
Striker Blackburn |
4 | 1 |
|
|
Wayne Rooney
Striker Manchester United |
4 | 0 |