Saturday February 16, 2013 Day 25 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Countdown: -97 Days

  1. Italian Serie A - Balotelli magic gives Milan another win

    Italian Serie A - Balotelli magic gives Milan another win

    Mario Balotelli continued his excellent start to life at Milan with a superb free-kick in a 2-1 Serie A win at home to Parma. More

  • Live Commentary

    • 90+4 Just a consolation as the whistle goes, Milan win 2-1. Super Mario strikes again!
    • 90+3 GOAL PARMA! Sansone drives home the ball after Belfodil's low cross wreaks havoc down the right! Poor defending from Milan, not sure what Abbiati was doing there.
    • 90+2 Lazy pass from Muntari on the right with Milan in space to possibly get a third.
    • 90+1 Balotelli drills a low shot straight at Pavarini when he probably should have passed to a team-mate. Three minutes added time being played.
    • 90' Balotelli is down looking a bit hurt after a collision with Rosi. He's ok. Free-kick Milan on the left, taken short.
    • 89' GREAT SAVE PAVARINI! Fantastic long-range effort from Montolivo, but the Parma keeper flew across to palm it away!
    • 88' Abbiati is forced into action as he parries a driven ball into the box. Nothing too testy.
    • 87' MILAN SUB: Niang high-fives his team-mates and gets a kiss from Mario as he comes off for Traore.
    • 86' Something silly almost did happen as Belfodil got in space down the right, his cross ricocheting off defender and keeper and almost going in! Corner.
    • 85' More keep-ball from Milan. This win will put them joint-third with Lazio, provided nothing silly happens.
    • 84' Having suffered possession wise earlier, Milan are on around 60%.
    • 83' Parma meanwhile look spent - even the basic defending is laboured now.
    • 82' Milan just playing keep-ball now. Good stuff after a difficult start.
    • - Emma has asked where El Shaarawy is - he's been rested as he has a sore knee, and they face Barcelona in midweek. Good call ultimately.
    • 80' Great scooped pass by Montolivo but just too heavy for Niang and Pavarini claims.
    • 79' Milan have a free-kick just inside their half but they are in complete control now as they knock it backwards and look to hold possession.
    • 78' Muted celebration in typical Mario style as Montolivo appears to nibble his ear.
    • 77' GOOOOOOOAAAAAL! BALOTELLI! What a superb free-kick from Balotelli, having been poor from that range so far. Swung viciously, with curl, top left.
    • 76' Milan have a free-kick in shooting range, Niang asks for permission but I think Super Mario is contractually obliged to have these...
    • 75' Milan counter, they have men over but the through ball by Niang to Bojan is overhit and Pama survive.
    • 74' Corner to Parma down the right, conceded by Muntari. Milan being made to work hard.
    • 72' PARMA SUB: Belfodil, the former Lyon trainee, replaces Amauri.
    • 71' Niang with a clipped cross aimed for Balotelli but Paletta nods it away.
    • 70' Nocerino tries a lob with Pavarini off his line but it's well wide.
    • 68' Parma have a free-kick now as Ninis goes down under pressure from Muntari.
    • 67' PARMA SUB: Coda is replaced by Benalouane.
    • 66' Montolivo is taken down by Marchionni, who is booked.
    • 65' MILAN SUB: Boateng comes off for Bojan.
    • 64' Lots of space for De Sciglio on the right as he races away, but a terrible cross is easy for Parma to clear.
    • 63' Balotelli's initial effort is straight into the wall, but his follow-up is far better, flashing just wide with the keeper a spectator!
    • 62' Now Milan have a free-kick around 30 yards out - Balotelli will shoot...
    • 61' Nice feet from Valdes, who is fouled by Boateng and then Balotelli before going down.
    • 60' Balotelli rounds Mesbah before firing a shot at Pavarini but he had already fouled his former team-mate.
    • 59' Boateng is sent clean through but fine keeping by Pavarini to rush out and clear with his feet.
    • 58' Milan are completely in charge now - but so were Parma at one point earlier.
    • 57' Balotelli should have been released by Boateng there but the pass was just beyond him. Fine touch by Boateng to start the move, flicking it around a defender to race away.
    • 56' PARMA SUB: Ninis, the Greek attacking midfielder, replaces Parolo.
    • 55' Offside on Balotelli this time as the cross hangs in for him.
    • 54' Another chance for Boateng as Balotelli again receives the ball from Muntari before clipping a hanging cross that shaves KP's head! Made in Ghana, those two moves (kind of).
    • 54' INCHES WIDE FROM BOATENG! Great stuff from Milan as Muntari sends Balotelli down the left, fantastic low pass from him that Boateng side-foots first-time just past the far post!
    • 53' Poor corner from Milan but Boateng retrieves the ball and the Rossoneri come again. Montolivo with a fantastic long ball to find Niang wide right, he shimmies past Mesbah and releases a brilliant low cross that ricochets off Balotelli and wide off a defender! Corner!
    • 52' Corner to Milan after Paletta completely mis-hits a clearance as the cross came in from the right. Much like the own-goal. Niang with the ball in.
    • 51' That spell of Parma possession ends when Valdes loses the ball to Boateng before fouling the Ghana man.
    • 50' A high ball down the left is ably kept in by Mesbah, but his attempt at a first-time cross is weak and Milan clear.
    • 48' Boateng now crosses for Balotelli to take on his chest, but it spins away from him as he attempts the volley.
    • 47' Excellent defending by Niang to track back all the way to his own corner flag, starting an attacking move with his clearance.
    • 46' The second half is underway.
    • 45+1 Half-time and Milan lead through an own-goal by Gabriel Paletta.
    • 45' Corner to Parma after Biabiany takes on Yepes. Swung for a flying Amauri but Zapata heads clear. Cleared, but Biabiany gets hold of it on the right again, putting in another super cross but De Sciglio nods it away. He was fouled by Amauri anyway.
    • 44' Muntari with a poor effort well off target. Goal kick to Parma.
    • 43' Boateng on the move, he can release Balotelli but overplays it and loses possession, Parma throw.
    • 41' Having started the match so well, Parma are now well and truly up against it. They can barely get it past halfway.
    • 40' The replay doesn't do Parma any favours, it was an okay delivery from Boateng but there was not enough Milan presence to justify that intervention - unless, of course, the keeper failed to call.
    • 39' GOAL MILAN! An own-goal from Paletta after Boateng's low cross caused havoc. No idea why he went for that, the keeper had it covered. Maybe there was no shout.
    • 38' Balotelli is down injured after a towering header that released Niang, whose cross was poor. Landed heavily on his lower back, and gets a free-kick for the shove by Paletta.
    • 37' Constant swings over a cross from a good spot on the left wing but he overhits it out for a goal kick. And so ends that good Milan patch.
    • 36' Milan, having been under the cosh for a spell, are now in charge, hemming Parma back deep in their own half.
    • 34' Boateng with a half-volley using his left foot but too close to Pavarini, who claims low to his left.
    • 33' Yepes is fine, just a bit of a shock after feeling his knee wobble. No damage apparently.
    • 32' Oh dear, Yepes is rolling around in agony after jarring his knee while sliding in.
    • 31' BOATENG FIRES JUST WIDE! He latched on to a superb Muntari pass to race past Rosi on the left, superb low cross-shot across the face of goal and Niang is convinced he was fouled but nothing given!
    • 30' The initial delivery is cleared by Yepes, and Marchionni has a follow-up effort but sends it well wide.
    • 29' Another free-kick to Parma, on the left this time. Marchionni to take...
    • 28' Free-kick to Parma again but closer to the Milan goal - straight into the two-man wall.
    • 27' Paletta wins a free-kick off Boateng after both rose for a header. Six to one and half a dozen the other.
    • 26' Biabiany with a great run down the right and a fantastic low cross for a flying Amauri to backheel wide! He should have left it, Parolo was arriving.
    • 25' Abbiati is forced into a save after Amarui rises highest to head the corner on target. Comfortable for everyone's favourite fascist.
    • 24' Rosi earns a corner for Parma after a good move down the right and an inventive backheeled cross that hits Zapata.
    • 23' Good defending by Yepes as Parma attack again. Good movement from the visitors.
    • 21' Lovely low cross from Boateng from the left wing but it's a yard or two ahead of Niang, and Balotelli was deep. It fizzes across the six-yard box and wide.
    • 20' Milan have the free-kick after the ref does well to calm that fracas. Balotelli is over it, meaning the shot is on - 25 yards out, central. Poor, straight into the wall. Milan come again and Balotelli is in space on the right, but his cross is just as bad, into the keeper's arms with Muntari and Niang waiting. Not his strongest skill.
    • 19' BALOTELLI WATCH: A bit of a tangle with Coda, nothing really, but Parma try to wind him up, Marchionni the villain of tha piece.
    • 18' Free-kick to Milan on the left but a poor delivery by Muntari into the arms of Pavarini.
    • 17' Nice ball wide from Balotelli to Niang but the young Frenchman overhits his cross. However, Boateng does really well to win a throw on the left wing for the hosts.
    • 16' Will be interested to see the stats when they appear - Parma have had well over half the possession at this stage.
    • 15' Milan ride that spell of pressure but Parma have a free-kick as Nocerino fouls Rosi.
    • 13' Sustained spell of Parma pressure now but Amauri fails to reach a Valdes through ball. Needs to be closer to feet, he's not as quick as he was.
    • 12' Milan clear that corner but Parma, who have really started well, come back at them.
    • 11' Boateng back defending puts it behind for a corner.
    • 10' Open start to this match. Both Parma and Milan are going for it. Now Milan on the offensive but Balotelli can't get hold of it.
    • 9' JUST WIDE BY PALETTA! Mistake in the Milan defence as they fail to clear their lines, the ricochet off Zapata falling to the Argentine, who cuts into the box and sidefoots it across Abbiati and wide.
    • 7' Milan back with possession now as they pass it around the back nicely.
    • 6' Good stuff by Parma as they force a corner off Abbiati. Milan clear that.
    • 5' Boateng fires a low drive on goal but it's weak and easy for the keeper.
    • 4' Balotelli with a bit of shirt pulling and Parma have a free-kick.
    • 3' BALOTELLI FIRES WIDE! A yard or two off target with a first-time effort after good play by Boateng again.
    • 2' Nocerino with a ball wide to Boateng, he looks inside to Balotelli who plays Muntari down the left. Well held up for Boateng, but his cross hits Marchionni and is easy for the keeper.
    • 1' Decent start for the visitors as they make the early running before Amauri fails to keep in a long ball from Marchionni.
    • 1' The first half is underway at the San Siro.
    • 19:45 Bit of a delay to kick off - they've only just come out for the coin-toss etc.
    • 19:35 William Hill's odds put Milan as 8/15 favourites with Parma at 5/1 and the draw 3/1. Sounds fair to me.
    • 19:30 Okay calcio fans, I'm around on Twitter if you fancy some pre-match chat. I'm no gambler, but my virtual money is on Milan and a Balotelli brace. FOLLOW ON TWITTER!
    • 19:25 Parma, meanwhile, DO hand Djamel Mesbah a start against his former club - he joined in a swap deal with Zaccardo. Otherwise no major surprises, with the aforementioned injuries meaning Pavarini starts in goal and Marchionni returns in midfield.
    • 19:20 So Zaccardo does not start for Milan against his former club, so no full debut here. Another surprise is that El Shaarawy is not in the XI, with KP Boateng instead employed off Balotelli and Niang. Interesting.
    • 19:15 TEAMS - Milan: Abbiati, De Sciglio, Yepes, Zapata, Constant, Nocerino, Montolivo, Muntari, Boateng, Niang, Balotelli // Parma: Pavarini, Rosi, Paletta, Coda, Mesbah, Marchionni, Valdes, Parolo, Sansone, Amauri, Biabiany
    • 19:10 Parma have Aleandro Rosi and Marco Marchionni back from bans, but keeper Antonio Mirante misses out after a minor knee op. Midfielder Daniele Galloppa is out long term with a serious knee injury.
    • 19:05 Italy midfielder Riccardo Montolivo returns to the Milan squad after a one-match ban, but forward Giampaolo Pazzini has a thigh problem. That means Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy will be aided by young M'Baye Niang. Defender Daniele Bonera has a thigh problem, so Cristian Zaccardo could make his Milan debut against the club he left in January. Kevin Constant is fit after an ankle injury but may not feature.
    • 19:00 Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Milan's Serie A clash with Parma at the San Siro, a match which - if the Rossoneri win - would see them go third for now. Kick off at 19:45 GMT!

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • AC Milan

    Manager: Massimiliano Allegri

  • Parma

    Manager: Roberto Donadoni

AC Milan’s last 5 results

View all AC Milan results »

Parma’s last 5 results

View all Parma results »

Related links

Comment 1 - 10 of 10

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. Super Mario strikes again!!

    From Bsun, on Sat 16 Feb 10:02

  2. Is good Mario is doing well for AC Milan. To admit, I­ am against some of his odd behaviours, but he can be­ very excellent on the pitch when his head is cleared.­ I hope he contniues to do what he's doing. Good­ luck Mario.

    From Agent, on Sat 16 Feb 1:08

  3. slowly but sure milan goes on top...forza rossoneri!!!!

    From Si BoroCot, on Fri 15 Feb 23:28

  4. FORZA MILAN!

    From emma, on Fri 15 Feb 21:41

  5. FOZA MILAN!

    From emma, on Fri 15 Feb 21:40

  6. MILAN!!!

    From emma, on Fri 15 Feb 20:37

  7. Where El?

    From kate, on Fri 15 Feb 20:14

  8. Where's robinho??

    From Damian, on Fri 15 Feb 19:41

  9. Forza a Rossoneri!

    From Mboy, on Fri 15 Feb 11:32

  10. Andiamo Rossonerri!!

    From Bsun, on Fri 15 Feb 10:01
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account