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LEGA CAICIO : Ronaldinho double lifts 10-man Milan to win

Ronaldinho, right, scores from the penalty spot for AC Milan against Roma during their Serie A match on Sunday in Milan, Italy. PHOTO: EPA

Ronaldinho inspired 10-man AC Milan to only their third win of the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 success against AS Roma at the San Siro on Sunday. While the first half in Milan belonged to Roma’s French winger Jeremy Menez, it was Ronaldinho who starred after the break, scoring one and creating the other before captain Massimo Ambrosini was sent off late on.

The visitors went in front with a helping hand from Milan center-back Thiago Silva as Menez pounced on his fluffed back pass on three minutes before beating goalkeeper Dida.

Milan needed a helping hand to get back into the match and they got it with a contentious penalty after Nesta crumbled under Nicolas Burdisso’s challenge in the box.

Ronaldinho despatched the penalty on 56 minutes and the winner came from a moment of quality on 67 minutes as Ronaldinho’s long diagonal ball found Pato, whose control on his chest was sublime and took John Arne Riise out of play before he rounded Doni and slotted home.

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri was unhappy about the penalty but blamed his players for the defeat.

Meanwhile, Sampdoria lost ground on Inter at the top when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Lazio, in a game where both teams finished with 10 men.

Sampdoria needed a win to join Inter on 19 points at the top but despite taking the lead through Giampaolo Pazzini, they were pegged back by a goal from Francesco Matuzalem.

But Sampdoria coach Luigi Delneri was furious that two penalty appeals in the last five minutes were turned down, the first when Fernando Muslera came out and punched Pazzini in the head after the striker beat him to the ball and the second when Mobido Diakite barged Reto Ziegler.

Pazzini was taken to hospital and onfield TV pictures seemed to show he had a broken nose.

Also on Sunday, it was:

• Catania 2, Cagliari 1

• Chievo Verona 1, Bari 2

• Livorno 1, Palermo 2

• Napoli 2, Bologna 1

• Parma 1, Siena 0

• Udinese 1, Atalanta 3
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