AC Milan hold off AJ Auxerre to reach last 16
AC Milan booked their place in the round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday 23 November after overcoming French side AJ Auxerre 2–0.
Two second-half strikes from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho completed the victory for Massimiliano Allegri's team, who are now secure in second place with eight points after Ajax Amsterdam lost 4–0 to Real Madrid in Tuesday's other Group
H encounter.
"The team did well, we conceded little and created some good chances," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri told
Sky Sport Italia after the game. "We deserved to win and I am happy that we qualified for the next round."
The home team showed their intent to shake the Italians in the 13th minute, when Dariusz Dudka's free kick sailed towards Christian Abbiati's far corner, but the keeper stretched to tip the ball out for a corner.
When Milan could find the openings, they managed to threaten, such as when Ibrahimovic nodded the ball into the path of Clarence Seedorf in the 22nd minute. The composed Dutchman controlled and hit a half-volley that nearly dipped enough
to creep under the beaten Olivier Sorin's bar.
In the 34th minute, Frederic Sammaritano hit a left-footed strike from distance that the Milan keeper collected without trouble.
Gennaro Gattuso got Milan's best opportunity before the break when Adama Coulibaly failed to clear Ibrahimovic's through ball.
The midfielder, not Milan's most prominent finisher with seven goals in 11 years at the club, was presented with an open shooting opportunity on the edge of the box, but leaned back too far and hit the ball into the stands.
Ibrahimovic proves his worth again
The second half proved another stalemate until Ibrahimovic showed why he is Allegri's undisputed first choice in attack with 64 minutes on the clock.
Seedorf received a flick from the Swede to play in Robinho, and when the midfielder's pass was intercepted by Dudka, Ibrahimovic did what Gattuso could not, spanking a shot high into the helpless Sorin's net.
As Milan sat back to preserve their lead in the best Italian fashion, Benoit Pedretti's hooked finish in the 81st minute was the closest Auxerre came to leveling.
In the first minute of injury time, the lively Robinho skipped down the left-hand side, feeding substitute Ronaldinho, Ibrahimovic's replacement on 85 minutes.
The Brazilian drifted in towards the centre before curling a left-footed shot low into the left corner to seal the victory.
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