Centerback Alessandro Nesta scored a late brace to salvage a victory for AC Milan away to plucky Chievo, who had looked for more than 80 minutes to be heading for a famous win.
Nesta’s late heroics completed a stunning week for Milan, who began last weekend with a come-from-behind 2-1 success over AS Roma, before their sizzling midweek 3-2 win at Real Madrid.
The defeat, secured with a deflected winner, was harsh luck on Chievo, and in particular goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino, who had long held Milan at bay during a second half onslaught.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Despite Nesta’s heroics, the victory owed as much to maligned Milan goalkeeper Dida, slated in midweek for a howler, but the true match-winner for his stunning one-handed injury-time save from a point-blank Pablo Granoche header, just moments before Nesta’s last-gasp winner.
Despite the win, Nesta said his team had to stop giving away early goals, although he was not as harsh in his criticism as he was following a draw at Atalanta.
“In Bergama, I was told I was too hard, but this shows it was the right path,” Nesta said. “We have players who are made to attack, but unfortunately we’re conceding after only a few minutes and we have to reverse that habit.”
Chievo were off to a great start, taking the lead after seven minutes as Milan’s defense crumbled, allowing Andrea Mantovani to cross from the left, with the ball finding an unmarked Giampiero Pinzi, who bundled home a bobbling shot from 14m out with Dida rooted to his line and no Milan defender within touching distance.
On the quarter hour, Milan should have been level, but Clarence Seedorf didn’t get hold of his shot from 10m and Sorrentino gathered at the second attempt.
The hosts could have doubled their advantage just before the break when Sergio Pellissier found space at the back post, but he volleyed high from Pinzi’s pinpoint cross.
Milan came out for the second period transformed and only Sorrentino kept them out as Ronaldinho dictated the play.
On 48 minutes he teed up Pato, but the young striker’s first touch was too heavy and allowed Sorrentino to come out and block, before Andrea Pirlo lobbed the rebound well over the bar.
Six minutes later, Ronaldinho fired a shot at goal from 7m that Sorrentino beat away as Chievo’s defense struggled to cope with the Brazilian star.
On the hour, Pellissier had a great chance to settle the match, but having got in behind the Milan back-line, he failed to control the ball and the chance went begging.
With a quarter hour left, Seedorf was again foiled by Sorrentino, who palmed away his swift close-range volley.
Chievo’s resistence finally crumbled, however, nine minutes from time when Marco Borriello headed Pirlo’s sublime left-foot cross onto the bar and Alessandro Nesta reacted quickest to nod home the loose ball.
Into injury-time, Dida made his miraculous save and straight up the other end Nesta got his head on a corner with the ball taking a wicked deflection to deceive Sorrentino, who surely did not deserve to finish on the losing side.
The win, their third in a row, moved Milan up to sixth.
Earlier, Juventus ended their four match league run without a win by beating Siena 1-0 away.
Juve struggled to break down stubborn opponents, but got their breakthrough on 72 minutes when Amauri headed home a Diego free-kick.
Despite their struggles, coach Ciro Ferrara was happy with his team, even insisting that his cup was neither half full nor half empty.
“I see the cup full. This was a vital victory and a deserved one. I’m very satisfied, both by the performance and the result,” Ferrara said.
The win left Juve four points behind leaders Inter. Juve are third with Sampdoria second, just two points behind Inter.
AS Roma crashed again as they lost 1-0 at home to 10-man Livorno, who until that victory were winless and rock bottom.
Goalkeeper Alfonso Di Luca was sent off on 64 minutes, but Francesco Tavano’s 40th-minute goal proved enough to give new boss Serse Cosmi a winning start.
Italian Serie A
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Inter | 9 | 15 | 22 |
2 | Sampdoria | 9 | 9 | 20 |
3 | Juventus | 9 | 6 | 18 |
4 | Palermo | 9 | 3 | 15 |
5 | Fiorentina | 9 | 2 | 15 |
6 | AC Milan | 9 | -1 | 15 |
7 | Bari | 9 | 5 | 14 |
8 | Parma | 9 | -2 | 14 |
9 | Napoli | 9 | -2 | 13 |
10 | Genoa | 9 | -3 | 13 |
11 | Chievo | 9 | 1 | 11 |
12 | Roma | 9 | -1 | 11 |
13 | Udinese | 9 | -1 | 11 |
14 | Cagliari | 9 | -2 | 10 |
15 | Lazio | 9 | -3 | 10 |
16 | Atalanta | 9 | -2 | 9 |
17 | Catania | 9 | -4 | 7 |
18 | Bologna | 9 | -7 | 6 |
19 | Livorno | 9 | -7 | 6 |
20 | Siena | 9 | -6 | 5 |
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