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Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored twice in injury time to hand Milan a barely-deserved 2-0 win over Catania and send the Rossoneri into second place in Serie A.

After 90 minutes of utter boredom at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, the game finally sparked into life when substitute Huntelaar broke the deadlock in the 93rd minute before adding another seconds after the restart.

The Dutchman had only been on the pitch nine minutes before his decisive intervention - a feat made even more incredible given the fact he had failed to open his account for his new club prior to this game.

Indeed he had not scored in league football for eight months, but the two finishes the former Real Madrid striker produced in Sicily belied that unkind statistic.

The first was an instinctive effort: a snap shot from fellow substitute Pippo Inzaghi's pass that Catania keeper Mariano Andujar let slip through his fingers and into the back of the net.

If that goal relied on a touch of fortune, there was nothing lucky about the second: a sublime chip from the edge of the area that Andujar could merely admire as it looped over his head before nestling in the corner.

It could all have been so different.

Until those mad final few moments, Milan were heading for an uninspiring and potentially damaging goalless draw at second-bottom club Catania after putting in a lacklustre display that was devoid of creativity or a cutting edge.

Catania keeper Andujar was not seriously tested throughout the 90 minutes, although Ronaldinho had seen a swirling corner brush the crossbar in the second half.

With the hosts' back line proving a difficult obstacle to negotiate, the Rossoneri were largely forced into trying their luck from distance.

Only once during a disappointing first half did Leonardo's side manage to find a way through the Catania defence, Alex Pato slipping Clarence Seedorf through in the fifth minute, only for the Dutchman to fire into the side netting.

Ronaldinho showed some sporadic neat touches, but the Brazilian lacked real penetration while Marco Borriello fared little better in the middle, the striker's only moment of note coming on 40 minutes when he sent a first-time effort goalwards. Andujar was able to collect easily.

At the other end, possibly the best chance of all fell the hosts' way when Nicolas Spolli very nearly got on the end of Giuseppe Bellusci's header back across the face of goal with Dida nowhere to be seen.

The second half started in the same vein, Pato blazing high and wide soon after the restart, a shot which prompted whistles of derision from the home crowd.

Those fans were not treated to much better by their own side, a Spolli flicked header that Dida easily claimed representing their best effort of the second half.

As the second period wore on, it became clear that Catania were the happier with a point, and while the hosts packed their defence, Milan looked to Inzaghi and Huntelaar off the bench.

Inzaghi, typically, proved a threat upon his arrival, although with no end result, while Seedorf continued to fire off-target.

Eventually it came down to Huntelaar, whose late brace was enough to send Milan above Juventus, who had slipped up earlier at Cagliari, and to within seven points of city rivals and league leaders Internazionale.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport