Milan 1-1 Madrid

Karim Benzema gave Real the lead in the 29th minute, but Ronaldinho replied with a penalty ten minutes before the break.

Alexandre Pato had a goal controversially disallowed moments later before Dida denied Raul a late winner in a dramatic game at the San Siro.

Both coaches chose form over tradition with their team selections. Filippo Inzaghi, just one goal short of Gerd Muller's all-time record of 69 goals in European competition, was left on the Milan bench with Leonardo preferring Marco Borriello, who scored both goals in the 2-0 win over Parma at the weekend.

And Raul, who is just one goal behind Inzaghi on 67, was also benched as Real coach Manuel Pellegrini keeping his faith in Gonzalo Higuain, whose brace earned three points against Getafe.

Kaka was given a warm reception on his return to the San Siro but, after he inspired Real to a bright start, that applause soon turned to jeers.

Sergio Ramos and Benzema both sent shots inches wide of the post, with keeper Dida clearly beaten on both occasions. Milan threatened against the run of play when Clarence Seedorf sent Pato clear on Iker Casillas, but the Real goalkeeper kept his composure to save with his right hand.


Real then took a deserved lead in the 29th minute when Kaka skipped past Seedorf, who practically invited him to shoot. His effort took a slight deflection off Thiago Silva, which probably did enough to prevent Dida from holding onto the ball. It spilled into the path of Benzema, who shot into the far corner from a tight angle.

Milan responded and were gifted the chance to equalise when Gianluca Zambrotta's cross hit the arm of Pepe, just a yard away from him, inside the penalty area. Referee Felix Brych pointed to the penalty spot and Ronaldinho blasted the ball into the roof of the net.

The game was transformed and Milan looked to capitalise with Pato scoring what looked like a perfectly valid goal, but Brych saw something he did not like in the build-up and ruled it out.

There had been such a pace to the first half that the second 45 minutes simply could not carry on in the same manner, and so it was that the game lost its way slightly.

The best chance for Milan was squandered by Inzaghi - who, like Raul, was sent on as a final throw of the dice.

He was on the end of an inviting cross from Massimo Oddo in the 84th minute, but Pepe did just enough to unsettle the Milan striker, who lifted the ball over the crossbar from point-blank range. And Dida saved Milan in the 89th minute with a fine reflex save to turn Raul's shot behind for a corner when it looked like the Spaniards were going to steal victory.

Boriello Time To Shine!!

Marco Borriello netted both goals as AC Milan moved up to fourth in Serie A with victory over Parma at the San Siro.
Borriello was the Rossoneri's hero in a lacklustre clash between two sides who showed more tiredness than lucidity in their third game in six days.
Borriello opened the scoring in the 12th minute and added the winner in stoppage time to give Milan the best possible result in preparation for the visit of Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Milan perhaps had an eye on that clash but that did not tempt coach Leonardo into making any unnecessary changes to his team.
The in-form Ronaldinho kept his place in attack, where Borriello replaced Filippo Inzaghi with Luca Antonini in for the suspended Ignazio Abate.
Parma lined up with Paloschi, who is half-owned by Milan, leading their attack alongside Valeri Bojinov.


And Paloschi had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute with a fine dipping shot from 25 yards that needed a fingertip save from Dida to divert onto the crossbar.

Milan went ahead from their first attack of the game two minutes later, with Ronaldinho given the freedom to cover 50 yards before threading the ball, via a deflection, into the path of Borriello, who placed his shot between the legs of Antonio Mirante.

Parma still looked dangerous, with Bojinov forcing a fine save out of Dida to keep the Rossoneri ahead in the 23rd minute.
Pato should have doubled Milan's lead after half an hour but he lacked the conviction to reach Massimo Oddo's cross from eight yards out and his tame header went wide of the far post.

Daniele Galloppa should have done better at the other end when he was found himself free in the penalty area but his shot was weak and straight at Dida.
It seemed like nobody was really determined to score as Borriello allowed the next chance to go begging when he just stood pondering his options rather than shooting with only Mirante to beat after he was found by Ronaldinho.

Milan should have had a penalty in the 69th minute when Pato slipped the ball between two Parma defenders and was tripped by Francesco Lunardini as he tried to follow the ball through but the referee waved play on.
That decision almost proved costly for Milan, who saw Paloschi break through at the other end and volley just wide.

But Parma simply did not have the ideas or the strength to make a game of it in a tedious second half in which Milan looked to conserve energy for their midweek Champions League game and Parma showed they are not used to having to play three games in a week.

Thiago Silva almost wrapped up the win three minutes from time when he headed against the crossbar from point-blank range.
Borriello did seal the win in stoppage time with a scissor-kick goal from another Ronaldinho assist.

Kaka Who? Who Cares When We Have Pato!!!

Its the richest vs the poor,the striving vs the problematic,the stars vs the old legs but who cares?
at the end, it felt like a classic but mostly it had not been. Sixteen European Cups, two European Footballers of the Year, over a thousand European goals, and hundreds of millions worth of signings and yet for long periods this was a game defined by two goalkeeping errors. But two wonderful strikes and a final 15 minutes played in increasingly wide spaces led to a dramatic 88th-minute winner from Alexandre Pato that elevated the game to a status fitting of its billing as the “Derby of Europe”.

By the time the whistle went mistakes from Iker Casillas and, especially, Dida were forgotten. A wonderful goal from Andrea Pirlo had equalised Madrid’s opener.

A superb strike from Royston Drenthe equalised the goal that put Milan in the lead, to set up a rousing finish and a huge victory for Milan. Madrid had one disallowed for offside; so, more mysteriously, did Milan. And then, in the final minute, Pato volleyed home to make it 3-2.

After 15 minutes Gianluca Zambrotta appeared to go through Karim Benzema’s legs to challenge for the ball as the Frenchman closed in on the six-yard box. It looked like a penalty, but the Belgian referee Frank de Bleeckere signalled a goal-kick.

The decision bought whistles from the stands but Madrid did not need to wait long for the opening goal. It came on 19 minutes, thanks to an extraordinary mistake from Dida.

He easily got behind a weak shot from Esteban Granero, patted the ball down on to the turf and took a step forward only for the ball to hit his thigh and drop loose. Fifteen years and 711 Real Madrid games later, Raul’s legs may be slower, but there is nothing wrong with his mind and he dashed in to apply the finish for his 66th European Cup goal.

Watching Ronaldinho grow increasingly frustrated, unable to produce the magic he once could was a sad sight; Milan’s impotence looked complete. And then, suddenly, incredibly, just after the hour they were level. Pirlo collected the ball from a throw-in 35 yards out and took aim and the ball dipped and whistled past Casillas at his right-hand post. The silence spoke of surprise. It was only Milan’s second shot on target.

Their third came only four minutes later and with the same outcome. Ambrosini’s curling ball dropped beyond the hesitating Raul Albiol, Casillas came for it and misjudged it, allowing it to skid beyond him. Pato maintained his balance to roll it into an empty net.