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Milan closed the gap on Serie A leaders Internazionale to six points with a 1-0 win over Fiorentina at the San Siro.

Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato (pictured left) got the only goal of the game when he drilled home a seventh-minute shot from just inside the box.

Milan lie third after the match, two points behind Juventus but still two wins adrift of Inter.

The Rossoneri took the lead on seven minutes when David Beckham - pictured here on the right and making his home debut - won the ball on the edge of the Fiorentina box after his cross was blocked.

Marek Jankulovski quickly slid the ball left to Pato, who calmly picked his spot and rifled a low drive off in inside of the far post.

Four minutes later Jankulovski stung the palms of Marco Storari - filling in for the injured Sebastien Frey - while Pato thought he should have had a penalty when he went to ground under a shoulder challenge from Juan Vargas.

Fiorentina got back into the match and mostly threatened through the impressive Stevan Jovetic, who put one shot wide and was - along with Mario Santana - a constant thorn in the side of Milan's defenders.

Riccardo Montolivio also went close for the visitors but Milan created most of the chances and were unlucky not to add to their tally through a Pato bicycle kick, a Beckham drive that Storari palmed away and two efforts from Kaka that were blocked after the Manchester City target went on powerful runs.

Kaka, who is the subject of a £100 million-plus enquiry from City, also thought he should have had a penalty but clearly dived and was lucky to escape a booking.

The second half was more even with Fiorentina forcing good saves from Abiatti through Santana and former Milan striker Alberto Gilardino.

Wily Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti sensed the danger and narrowed his formation by bringing off Clarence Seedorf for Mathieu Flamini, packing the midfield to limit Fiorentina's marauding wide players.

Beckham, meanwhile, was in fine form both from dead ball and open play situations and played 80 minutes before he was replaced by Philippe Senderos.

The defensive ploy was the right decision.

Aside from a late chance that Jovetic hesitated to take, allowing Maldini to block, and despite Jankulovski's late dismissal for a second yellow card after kicking the ball away, Milan shut the game out to consolidate third place.

In the early Saturday kick off in Serie A, a 75th-minute goal by Liechtenstein striker Mario Frick gave Siena a 1-0 home win over struggling Reggina.

Frick latched on to a long ball, beat defenders Carlos Valdez and Maurizio Lanzaro and placed his finish past keeper Andrea Campagnolo.

Reggina stay second bottom although could slip to the foot of the table if beat Napoli at home on Sunday, while Siena rise to 14th.

Reda Maher / Eurosport