Robinho and Alexendre Pato deliver for AC Milan against Chievo - AC Milan stays in Serie A lead
AC Milan beat Chievo in a Serie A encounter at the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi on Sunday evening. Goals from Robinho and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alexandre-Pato-c4901 helped the Rossoneri to edge past the hosts. With this win, Milan stay three points clear on top of the league table.
Massimiliano Allegri made three changes to his starting line-up that lost 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League clash in the midweek. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Antonio-Cassano-c6302 returned after they declared ineligible in the Champions League, while
Alexander Merkel was also handed a rare start. Stefano Pioli made wholesale changes to his side that lost 4-1 to Cagliari last weekend. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Sergio-Pellissier-c33091 and Cyril Thereau started upfront in a 4-4-2 formation for the Flying Donkeys.
The first half started in lively fashion as both teams made early tackles. Neither of the two sides could dominate the possession for long as no goal scoring opportunities were created in the opening 15 minutes. The first chance of the game fell for Chievo,
as Luca Rigoni’s shot from Andrea Mantovani’s cross was nicely saved by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-c38029 into the path
of Robinho, who chested the ball down and toe poked the ball low into the net past http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Stefano-Sorrentino-c34066. The beautiful goal from Robinho made it 1-0 for the visitors. The hosts nearly equalised four minutes after the goal as Gelson Fernandez’s first volley from
the far post was nicely blocked by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Luca-Antonini-c22503. The hosts had another chance to equalise just before the half time whistle when Thereau found Pellissier unmarked in the box but the Chievo skipper fired the shot over by six yards.
The second half started with Milan pressing hard to double their lead and they could have done it if Ibrahimovic had not headed Massimo Oddo’s free kick wide off the post. Soon after the hour mark, Fernandez drew Chievo level. Kevin Constant sent a teasing
cross from the right, which was missed by Merkel and the ball fell into the path of Fernandez, who directed a textbook header past Abbiaiti to make it 1-1. Pato was brought in as a substitute for Cassano and the Brazilian made an instant impact with his sheer
brilliance. Milan broke through Gattuso, who fed Pato, and the Brazilian skipped past two defenders before firing his shot past Sorrentino to make it 2-1 for the visitors. Bostjan Cesar received his marching orders from the referee when he blatantly handled
the ball, as Chievo went down to ten men. The visitors held onto their lead as the full time whistle blew.
Milan play their next match against second placed http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Napoli-c40003 at the San Siro on 28th February, while Chievo play against Cesena on 27th February.
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