Giampaolo Pazzini grabbed a hat-trick on his first start for AC Milan to inspire his new team to a 3-1 triumph over Bologna on Saturday, their first win of the Serie A season.
The forward, who joined Massimiliano Allegri’s side last week in a swap deal with Inter involving Antonio Cassano, led his new club to victory in a match where Bologna may have felt unfortunate not to have gotten a point.
“This is a good sign for me and those who believed in me,” Pazzini said.
Photo: Reuters
Elsewhere, Torino picked up their first victory by beating 10-man Delfino Pescara 1936 by 3-0.
Milan opened the scoring at Bologna after 16 minutes when Pazzini raced through on goal and was controversially adjudged to have been brought down in the area by Nicolo Cherubin.
Replays showed both players tugging at each other’s shirts, but Pazzini dusted himself off and scored his first Milan goal from the penalty spot.
Bologna responded by taking the game to Milan, with the impressive Alessandro Diamanti at the heart of their attacking play.
The home team’s pressure was rewarded four minutes before halftime when Antonio Nocerino brought Diamanti down in the area.Diamanti then smashed the penalty past ‘keeper Christian Abbiati to equalize.
Kevin Prince Boateng drove Milan forward in the second half, but Diamanti also continued to cause the visitors problems.
Pazzini put Milan back in front with 13 minutes left when Federico Agliardi dropped a cross at the striker’s feet. The new striker, who made his debut as a substitute in the 1-0 home defeat by US Sampdoria last Sunday, clinched victory in the 85th minute, when he touched in a wayward Nocerino shot.
Torino swept Pescara aside in the day’s other game after the visitors had Christian Terlizzi was dismissed for bringing down Rolando Bianchi in the box and the striker missed the resulting penalty. Alessandro Sgrigna (34 minutes), Matteo Brighi (59) and Bianchi (63) were on target for Torino.
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