Sunday February 19, 2012 Day 24 Finished Stadio Dino Manuzzi

Cesena 1 - 3 AC Milan

  • Pudil 65’
  • Muntari 29’
  • Emanuelson 31’
  • Robinho 55’

  1. Milan beat Cesena to regain top spot

    Milan beat Cesena to regain top spot

    Milan beat Cesena 3-1 to leapfrog Juventus and return to pole position in Serie A. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Cesena
    • AC Milan
    • 93' FULL-TIME. Milan win 3-1 and it wasn't that difficult for the Rossoneri, was it? Goals from Robinho, Emanuelson and Munatri securing the three points. A consolation from Pudil wasn't enough to spark Cesena back into life.
    • 92' Milan have a corner and Nocerino and Abate keep in in the corner and continue to waste time.
    • 91' Milan are bossing it now, winding down the clock in the Cesena half.
    • 90' Inzaghi comes on for Maxi Lopez. Odds on a last-gasp goal from the Milan legend?
    • 89' Three minutes added time given.
    • 88' Cesena are leaving themselves very open at the back as they look for a second goal, but luckily for them, Benalouane and Guana are switched on.
    • 87' Benalouane uses his pace and cuts gets to a through-ball before El Shaarawy can reach it.
    • 86' El Shaarawy is penalised for a high foot, kicking Benalouane in the head when reaching for the ball.
    • 85' We're into the final five minutes, and there's not long left for Cesena to get two goals now. You've got to loko at the chances Mutu and Iaquinta have had in this second half and wonder what the score would be if they'd scored rather than wasted good chances.
    • 83' Emanuelson gets fouled three or four times but refuses to go down as he stumbles into the penalty area but his pass is cut out and cleared.
    • 82' Lovely play from Cesena. Mutu lifts a pass over Thiago SIlva and Iaquinta hits an acrobatic shot on the volley but it's straight at Abbiati who saves well.
    • 81' Jorge Martinez replaces Mario Santana for Cesena.
    • 80' Rossi fouls Emanuelson and gives away a free-kick. It's taken quickly as Milan aim to keep possession rather than look for a fourth goal.
    • 78' Straight down the other end, El Shaarawy breaks and has his shot saved by Antonioli.
    • 77' So close from Iaquinta! Guana taps the ball and the on-loan striker smashes the ball inches over the bar. Unlucky, that was a great effort.
    • 76' Nocerino kicks Parolo in the face accidently and gives away a free-kick in a promising position for Cesena.
    • 75' But no, it's Robinho who comes off and El Shaarawy who comes on.
    • 74' I could see Inzaghi coming on soon - Milan have lost direction and Cesena seem to have figured Maxi Lopez out.
    • 73' Guana has made Cesena a little more solid in the centre of midfield. He can break up play and spot a pass to boot.
    • 72' Milan are giving the ball away a lot, it's a shame Cesena seem to be doing the same thing when they get it.
    • 71' Marco Parolo tries an ambitious effort from 30 yards out, but it goes well wide. Points for trying though.
    • 70' Giuseppe Colucci replaced by Roberto Guana.
    • 69' Emanuelson goes down injured, well, he doesn't look too injured, and Cesena are forced to put the ball out of play.
    • 68' Muntari gives the ball away again, that's becoming a common occurance. Santana picks up the loose ball and races forward but he's tackled and Milan clear.
    • 67' Cesena need to build on this momentum now and get a second goal as soon as they can.
    • 66' Giuseppe Colucci gets booked for a foul on Maxi Lopez.
    • 65' 3-1! Cesena quickly counter and Bonera clears Santana's cross but only as far as Pudil who guides a half-volley beyond Abbiati. Lovely finish.
    • 62' Muntari spreads the ball out wide to the left to Robinho who cuts inside and blasts a shot high and wide.
    • 61' Maxi Lopez has got a brilliant haircut. What with that hair and Nocerino's beard, they're doing the fashion capital of the world justice.
    • 60' Milan have gone quiet after that third goal. They're getting sloppy in possession as well.
    • 59' Another offside and Mutu's eagerness to get forward is proving to do more harm than good at the moment.
    • 58' Mutu gets booked for a deliberate handball.
    • 57' Despite conceding, Cesena have had three clear-cut chances so far this half, they should have scored at least one of them.
    • 56' 3-0 down, what does Daniele Arrigoni do at this stage? The game is beyond Cesena now. Surely the sole aim is to not concede more goals?
    • 55' Cesena have a goal ruled out for offside as Mutu is correctly flagged.
    • 54' 3-0 MILAN! Robinho continued his run in from the left and went unnoticed as Abate played in a lovely pass. The Brazilian ran into the box before unleashing a sweet right-foot shot across the face of goal and beyond Antonioli.
    • 52' Robinho finds himself in a lot of space on the left but can't find a way inside as Cesena clear.
    • 51' That was a straight swap by Milan, Ambrosini was struggling with a little niggle.
    • 50' Mark van Bommel is coming on for Massimo Ambrosini.
    • 49' Another wasted chance for Cesena! Santana robs Muntari before racing into the box. He pulls the ball back to an unmarked Iaquinta who misses the ball completely.
    • 48' It's gone a bit scrappy at the moment with both sides giving away possession.
    • 47' Cesena are certainly looking more positive at the start of the second half, willing to get the ball forward and commit more men to attacks.
    • 46' Golden chance for Mutu! A perfect cross from Parolo finds the Romanian unmarked as he sneaks past Thiago Silva but he can only head way over the bar from eight yards out. What a start that could, and should, have been.
    • 45' Milan get the second half started; can Cesena find a way back into this game? What do you think?
    • - It looks like game-over for Cesena now, unless Daniele Arrigoni can give one heck of a team-talk.
    • 45' Tip tap, tip tap. Milan are knocking the ball around their half at will, winding the clock down as the referee blows for half-time.
    • 42' Thiago Silva and Bonera at the heart of the Milan defence are dealing with everything Cesena have got today and making it look incredibly easy.
    • 41' Maxi Lopez's movement may not be great today, but his ability to hold the ball up is brilliant. he's proving to be a useful outlet at times today.
    • 40' Robinho slips in Emanuelson with Maxi Lopez in the middle unmarked but the trequartista elects to shoot instead, putting his effort wide.
    • 39' Lovely one-touch football from the away side has Cesena running around with no idea what to do.
    • 38' Cesena clear the resulting corner but Milan continue to press.
    • 37' A brilliant pass from Ambrosini plays in Abate on the right who's cross is blocked for a corner.
    • 36' The movement of Emanuelson, Robinho and Muntari is causing the Cesena defence, and midfield for that matter, a lot of problems.
    • 35' Great skill by Mutu almost plays in Iaquinta. The Romanian does a little back-heeled flick through Bonera's legs but Silva holds off the Italian striker.
    • 34' Not that Milan ever looked nervous, but they seem a lot more comfortable on the ball now. Happy to pass and pass, keeping possession.
    • 33' As in the rest of the game, Cesena's delivery from set pieces has been terrible, the corner is cleared by Maxi Lopez once again.
    • 32' Well, just like that, Milan seem to have the win in the bag. Oh, as I say that, Iaquinta has a header tipped over by Abbiati for a corner.
    • 31' You'd expect Antonioli to do better on both of those goals to be honest. Spilling the free-kick could be forgivable, but being beaten low-down from that range is poor.
    • 30' 2-0 MILAN! Two goals in two minutes for the Rossoneri. Milan break as Robinho plays in Emanuelson who blasts a shot from 25 yards under Antonioli.
    • 29' 1-0 MILAN! Thiago Silva's smashes his free-kick under the wall and straight at Antonioli who spills it at the feet of Muntari who taps it in to give Milan the lead.
    • 27' Thiago Silva is lining this up about 25 yards out.
    • 26' Free-kick Milan after Parolo trips Robinho. This is well within range...
    • 25' Daniele Arrigoni will be happy with this display from his side. They're stopping Milan from finding too much space and aiming to counter with speed. If they can get a bit more support on the wings, they could have some joy.
    • 24' A rubbish header from Robinho goes at least ten yards wide there. Poor.
    • 23' So close for Milan! Muntari threads a neat ball through to Emanuelson who spreads it wide to Robinho. The Brazilian crosses low towards Maxi Lopez who is just inches away from making contact and tapping it beyond Antonioli.
    • 22' Speak of the devil; Muntari comes forward and through a lack of options, smacks another shot well wide. Cesena seem to be playing with a five-man defence when Milan have the ball, swamping their penalty area with bodies.
    • 21' Muntari is seeing a lot of the ball today and is playing some nice passes into space for Milan, but they need to do a lot more with the ball when they get it.
    • 20' Pudil takes the free kick and it is absolutely dreadful, cleared by the first defender.
    • 19' Cesena break and Muntari fouls Comotto on the left side of the penalty area giving away a silly free-kick. It looks as though he just fell over and Comotto tripped over him to be fair.
    • 18' Mutu is dropping off Iaquinta a lot, leaving the Italian isolated up front. The likes of Santana and Pudil need to get further forward and support the two strikers.
    • 17' Benalouane slides in on Mesbah on the edge of the Cesena penalty area but Lopez's free kick comes to nothing as Muntari fouls Marco Rossi.
    • 16' Cesena have pushed up a bit now, and are seeing a lot more of the ball as a result. With the likes of Mutu and Iaquinta up front, they've got to get the ball forward to stand a chance here.
    • 15' Corner to Cesena as Comotto fires the ball against Mesbah. Maxi Lopez clears the ball to Robinho who loses the ball as the home side close the Brazilian down.
    • 14' Mario Santana breaks for Cesena, but he runs out of steam and Ambrosini easily disposses him. The home side are seeing more of the ball, but don't look very threatening so far.
    • 13' Emanuelson and Robinho link up to good effect before Pudil heads Emanuelson's cross out for a corner, which is again, wasted.
    • 12' Mutu breaks for Cesena but Thiago Silves shepherds his pass out of play, blocking Iaquinta in the process.
    • 11' Maxi Lopez falls over in the box looking for a penalty, but the referee just waves play on. No one really appealed for that one and replays show it was outside the area anyway.
    • 10' Great save by Antonioli! Maxi Lopez holds the ball up very well before playing in Muntari. The on-loan midfielder slips it to Robinho who in turn plays in Ambrosini to hit a first-time shot which is saved by the legs of Antonioli.
    • 9' Good pressure from Milan here, but then Thiago Silva wastes it by hitting a long-ranger well wide.
    • 8' Emanuelson hits a ricket from distance and Antonioli tips it over the bar for a corner. Cesena can't deal with it and it goes right out for a second corner kick.
    • 8' Robinho loses the ball and Cesena can break but Benalouane's long ball goes straight out of play. Iaquinta doesn't look happy.
    • 7' Abate finds space again but this time his cross is poor and it goes out for a throw-in on the opposite wing.
    • 6' Chance for Milan! Abate finds some space on the right and pulls a cross back across goal. Maxi Lopez misses it completely but it finds Muntari who hits a shot on the turn and it misses by inches. Let that be a warning, Cesena.
    • 5' Cesena are defending very deeply here. Milan have the freedom of the pitch until the final third and then the home side put the shutters down.
    • 4' Speaking of Nocerino, he has the most immaculately groomed facial hair I've seen in a long time. Lovely work.
    • 3' Nocerino gets it very, very wrong as he misjudges a pass and plays it out for a goal kick. Very poor, that. Milan look lively though, full of zip in these early minutes.
    • 2' Milan build from the back and attack from the start. Some lovely early movement before Muntari hits a long-ranger way over the bar.
    • 1' And we're off and the home side get things under way.
    • 13:57 The two teams are out on the pitch now, it all looks very friendly in the tunnel.
    • 13:52 Cesena haven't won since their 3-1 win over Novara on Jan 15 and they'll be looking to take advantage of an arguably weaker Milan side that beat them 1-0 in the reverse fixture in September. A goal from Clarence Seedorf was enough to secure the win for the Rossoneri.
    • 13:42 The SUBS for Milan: Amelia, Yepes, Antonini, Zambrotta, Van Bommel, El Shaarawy, Inzaghi.
    • 13:41 Cesena starting XI: Antonioli; Rossi, Benalouane, Rodriguez; Comotto, Santana, Colucci, Parolo, Pudil; Mutu, Iaquinta.
    • 13:40 How about some team news? First up, Milan. Zlatan Ibrahimovic misses the game through suspension while Alex Pato and Kevin-Prince Boateng are rested. Starting XI: Abbiati; Abate, Bonera, Thiago Silva, Mesbah; Nocerino, Ambrosini, Muntari; Emanuelson; Maxi Lopez, Robinho.
    • 13:37 Cesena on the other hand are fighting for their Serie A lives. Currently 19th, the Cavallucci Marini (Seahorses) need to keep up with Lecce who are currently beating Siena 3-1 in the early kick off.
    • 13:29 Milan slipped to second in the league last night after Juventus won 3-1 against Catania but Massimilano Allegri's men can regain top spot with a win today.
    • 13:27 Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Serie A game between Cesena and AC Milan at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi.

  • Summary

    • 77' So close from Iaquinta! Guana taps the ball and the on-loan striker smashes the ball inches over the bar. Unlucky, that was a great effort.
    • 65' 3-1! Cesena quickly counter and Bonera clears Santana's cross but only as far as Pudil who guides a half-volley beyond Abbiati. Lovely finish.
    • 55' Cesena have a goal ruled out for offside as Mutu is correctly flagged.
    • 54' 3-0 MILAN! Robinho continued his run in from the left and went unnoticed as Abate played in a lovely pass. The Brazilian ran into the box before unleashing a sweet right-foot shot across the face of goal and beyond Antonioli.
    • 49' Another wasted chance for Cesena! Santana robs Muntari before racing into the box. He pulls the ball back to an unmarked Iaquinta who misses the ball completely.
    • 46' Golden chance for Mutu! A perfect cross from Parolo finds the Romanian unmarked as he sneaks past Thiago Silva but he can only head way over the bar from eight yards out. What a start that could, and should, have been.
    • 30' 2-0 MILAN! Two goals in two minutes for the Rossoneri. Milan break as Robinho plays in Emanuelson who blasts a shot from 25 yards under Antonioli.
    • 29' 1-0 MILAN! Thiago Silva's smashes his free-kick under the wall and straight at Antonioli who spills it at the feet of Muntari who taps it in to give Milan the lead.
    • 23' So close for Milan! Muntari threads a neat ball through to Emanuelson who spreads it wide to Robinho. The Brazilian crosses low towards Maxi Lopez who is just inches away from making contact and tapping it beyond Antonioli.
    • 6' Chance for Milan! Abate finds some space on the right and pulls a cross back across goal. Maxi Lopez misses it completely but it finds Muntari who hits a shot on the turn and it misses by inches. Let that be a warning, Cesena.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Cesena

    Manager: Daniele Arrigoni

  • AC Milan

    Manager: Massimiliano Allegri

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      4.2 4
      Defenders
      3.8 5
      Yellow Card 4.3 6
      4.1 5
      3.9 5
      Midfielders
      Yellow Card Substitution Out71′ 3.7 5
      3.9 5
      Substitution Out82′ 3.9 5
      Goal 4.5 6
      Strikers
      Yellow Card 4.7 5
      3.8 4
      Subs
      Substitution In71′ 4 5
      Substitution In82′ 4.4 5
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      6.2 6
      Defenders
      5.7 7
      5 6
      6.8 7
      8 6
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out51′ 5 6
      5.8 5
      Goal 6.9 7
      Goal Yellow Card 6.9 7
      Strikers
      Substitution Out90′ 5.9 7
      Goal Substitution Out77′ 6.9 7
      Subs
      Substitution In90′ 7.5 6
      Substitution In51′ 6.1 6
      Substitution In77′ 6.3 7