Champions League - Milan and Real Madrid draw

Eurosport - Tue, 03 Nov 21:45:00 2009

Milan and Real Madrid played out a 1-1 draw at the San Siro that keeps both sides' Champions League qualification hopes on track.

2009-10 Champions League Milan's Ronaldinho challenges Kaka of Real Madrid (Reuters) - 0

Madrid struck the first blow when Karim Benzema finished from close range after Milan keeper Dida had failed to hold a shot from former Rossoneri star Kaka.

But the hosts drew level when Madrid defender Pepe was harshly adjudged to have handled a cross from Gianluca Zambrotta and Ronaldinho stepped up to blast the penalty into the roof of the net.

Milan were then harshly denied another when Pato had what looked like a perfectly good goal chalked off for an earlier infringement as the first half drew to a close.

The game saw the return to the San Siro of former Milan hero Kaka. For years the Brazilian was puppeteer for the Rossoneri, but in front of then fans who used to adore him, he wasted little time in re-assuming the mantle for his new club.

In tandem with former Liverpool playmaker Xabi Alonso, Kaka seized control of the midfield and probed tirelessly in front of the Milan back four.

And the visitors' early supremacy was reflected in the chances that came their way. Benzema twice came close to handing the hosts an early lead with good efforts either side of a low drive from Sergio Ramos that whistled inches past the post.

But Milan, who were under the cosh for swathes of the first half, missed a fantastic chance of their own to break the deadlock. Seedorf fed Pato in on goal and he took his time before tamely finishing straight at Madrid keeper Iker Casillas.

It was a let-off for Madrid who quickly punished the hosts for their profligacy. Kaka was the creator, beating two men before firing a stinging drive towards goal that Dida could only parry into the path of Benzema who calmly finished the rebound.

With Madrid in total control, Milan were handed a somewhat fortuitous route back into the encounter.

Pepe was harshly penalised for handling a cross from Zambrotta that he had little chance of avoiding and Ronaldinho stepped up to convert the penalty.

But if Milan's equaliser was lucky, good fortune deserted them minutes later when Pato broke free and planted the ball past Casillas and into the back of the net only to see his effort ruled out for an earlier infringement.

The second half lacked the sheer entertainment of the first with neither side able to break down the other in what was a more resolute display from both defences.

Massimo Ambrosini headed a Pirlo freekick well wide 10 minutes after the restart while a similar opportunity presented itself to Thiago Silva minutes later only for his header to cannon off the back of Alonso before looping over the bar.

Second half substitute Filippo Inzaghi skied a cross from Pato high over the bar from close range before seeing slicing another presentable opportunity late on.

While the nearest Madrid came to retaking the lead in the second half was a shot from another second half replacement Raul, whose effort drew a superb one-handed stop from Dida.

Toby Davis / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. Halla Madrid,
    Screw Barcelona.....do you here it ?
    I­ sad Halla Madrid and Screw­ Barcelona.....)))))))))))))))))))))))))))
    AAAAAAAAAAAAA­ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ))))) there comes the­ ''money does not buy success ''
    with a­ knife in his hand, with a red uggly face, cursing me­ out of the planet earth­ )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    Lis­ ten , money guy, do yourself a favour, be more human,­ more moral, curse less, it is not good for you, cuz­ everything we do or say-we do it to owerself )) Never­ heared that phrase ? well now you know...Get a life­ Bro,
    smile a little....and stop hating me that­ much...im not that bad )))))
    and Im not that getachew­ guy...oh, ok, here comes your turn....­ )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

    From artakjan2001, on Wed 4 Nov 10:38PM

  2. ............../´¯/)............(­­­­ \¯`\
    ............/....//...........­­­­ ...\\....\
    .........../....//............­­­ ­ ....\\....­­­­ \
    ...../´¯/..../´¯\.........../¯­­­­ `\....\¯`\
    .././.../..../..../.|_......_|­­­ ­ .\....\... .\...\.\. Madrid!!­ Los­ Cules is the best. Visca­ Barcelona!!!!!
    (.(....(....(..../.)..)..(..(;­­­­ \....)....­­­­ )....).)
    .\................\/.../....\.­­­­ ..\/...... ........../
    ..\.................­­­­ /........\................../­­ ­­
    ....\..............(.......... ..).......­­­­ ......./

    From Money Does Not Buy Success - Fuxxk Getachew44, on Wed 4 Nov 11:00AM

  3. Both are poor teams that will struggle against Man Utd,­ Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal.

    From Robert, on Wed 4 Nov 10:17AM

  4. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REAL MADRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From nurulain sukeri, on Wed 4 Nov 9:28AM

  5. NO HEART

    From longbrittan, on Wed 4 Nov 9:26AM

  6. Fantastic refereeing: Benzema's goal on offside, a­ joke of a penalty for Milan, a goal incredibly­ disallowed to Pato. You might say things stay balanced,­ but the match has been entirely determined (on either­ side) by the referee. A genius!

    From Giovanni T, on Wed 4 Nov 8:47AM

  7. whahah the 2 goals that were blowed off were FAIR!!!­

    it was 3-1 for ac milan

    From Ibo, on Wed 4 Nov 7:34AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Real is the man..

    From Rabby, on Wed 4 Nov 6:44AM

  9. i wondered why the referee just let all the nasty­ challenges on Kaka. he didn't blow his whitle at­ all when kaka went down. but, things turn different­ when ronaldinho, pato, boriello went down diving. and­ it should not have been a penalty!

    From Ivanhoe, on Wed 4 Nov 4:58AM

  10. every think that you wan to say, say but real is the­ chame

    From yaser r, on Wed 4 Nov 4:42AM

  11. FORZA MILAN RONALDINHO IS BACK ON FORM AND AWESOME WHAT­ A BLAST FROM HIS PENALTY SHOT

    From mystic, on Wed 4 Nov 2:07AM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Ronaldinho played very well today, but Kaka was not­ even an influence for a minute.

    From juan, on Wed 4 Nov 12:16AM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    WHO CARES ABOUT??? MY BOYFRIEND THINKS THE SAME WITH­ ME. HE IS­ EIGHT YEAR OLDER THAN ME. LOL. WE MET AT­­ AGELESSMATCH C O M, A NICE AND FREE PLACE FOR YOUNGER­­ WOMEN AND OLDER MEN, OR OLER WOMEN AND YOUNGER MEN TO­­ INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.

    From hi.kalyjones, on Tue 3 Nov 11:20PM

  14. When David Beckham returns to AC Milan in January,­ there will be a players 'boys night out'­ reunion for the players with all the wonderful Milan­ beauties in the best nightclubs, and it will be­ 'like paradise' all over again.

    From Tom..., on Tue 3 Nov 10:41PM

  15. yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!! MILAN!!!!!

    From Timmy, on Tue 3 Nov 10:39PM

  16. marcelo is a total disgrace...bad passing, @#$%­ shots...what was wrong with the coaching­ staff???...should have taken him off and get van der­ vaart in...oh but wait they haven't lined him up in­ cl football yet..maybe another trade coming up in­ jan!!!

    From milton, on Tue 3 Nov 10:29PM

  17. No chance for Real! Another 3 . 2 win for AC!

    From Mickey, on Tue 3 Nov 6:33PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    real will win this game no chance for millan they­ underestood thier problome in last game in bernabeo

    From yaser r, on Tue 3 Nov 4:33AM

  19. real madrid line up against milan should­ be....casillas,ramos,pepe,albiol,drenthe,alonso,lass,gr­ anero,kaka,benzema,higuain

    From besa, on Mon 2 Nov 8:25PM
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