| Crisis-hit Milan thumped Cristiano Lucarelli's Shakhtar Donetsk 4-1 with braces from Alberto Gilardino and Clarence Seedorf.
The Rossoneri desperately needed a victory after their crisis in Serie A and Europe. Kaka recovered from a knee problem to start, but Zeljko Kalac stood in for the suspended Nelson Dida, who had a one-match ban for feigning injury in the 2-1 defeat at Celtic. Cristiano Lucarelli returned to Italy for the first time as an opponent with Group D leaders Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was the Ukrainians who had the first effort as Ravzan Rat unleashed a sudden powerful snapshot that Kalac fingertipped round the far post.
However, Milan took the lead moments later. A corner kick from Andrea Pirlo was turned into the far bottom corner by a glancing Alberto Gilardino header from five yards. He had been fiercely criticised by the media and fans, but showed Carlo Ancelotti it was a good choice to pick him from the start.
Kalac impressed again by plucking Lucarelli's header out of the air, but Clarence Seedorf's counter for Kaka was deflected. Goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov fumbled the ball and the Brazilian went for goal, another touch taking it out for a corner.
Kaka launched himself on the counter from the centre circle exchanging passes with Gilardino, but when one-on-one with the goalkeeper he hesitated and Pyatov managed to get a touch round the post. However, from the resulting corner kick Gilardino again got to the ball for a header this time at the near post from Seedorf's cross. The former Parma hitman was being held down by Olexandr Kucher, but still got the decisive touch.
Kucher had allowed Gila two goals in similar circumstances, so Coach Mircea Lucescu opted for drastic action, replacing him with Tomas Hubschmann.
Kalac blocked a Lucarelli free kick, while Gennaro Gattuso - sporting a new haircut and freshly-shaven - went into the book along with Brandao for an ill-tempered scuffle.
Kaka rode two tackles to provide a cross for Massimo Oddo, anticipated by Fernandinho as he was pulling the trigger. The move continued and Pyatov parried Kaka's strike from the edge of the area.
Seedorf wasted a promising counter with his misplaced pass to the unmarked Kaka, while Kalac tipped a Mariusz Lewandowski piledriver out from under the bar. Brandao pounced on a defensive error from Alessandro Nesta and stung Kalac's palms.
Milan were sitting back more and Shakhtar pushed forward to take advantage, Ilsinho drilling just wide of the near post. However, on the counter-attack Gattuso send Seedorf clear and he rolled across for Oddo, but the former Lazio man thumped his rising strike against the supports holding up the net.
Kaka slipped at the crucial moment when clear on goal in another great move, but Lucarelli also lost his footing on the rain-soaked San Siro pitch and Kalac managed to readjust his position at full stretch to control the ball.
On the stroke of half-time there was controversy as substitite Hubschmann shoulder-charged Kaka clear on goal outside the area, but the referee did not even award a free kick. The Shakhtar player seemed to go straight for the man and ignore the ball, infuriating Carlo Ancelotti.
Within seconds of the restart Kaka sparked a Seedorf chance closed down by a desperate Hubschmann tackle. There was an even clearer opportunity moments later with Kaka clear, but instead of shooting he rolled the ball across for Gattuso, who was not expecting it and the opportunity went begging.
Just as Shakhtar seemed to be under control, Oddo gifted them a goal. His clearance was straight at Brandao and Lucarelli came sliding in to volley home from just inside the area.
Kaka sprinted almost the whole length of the field and skipped past a stunned defender with some sensational football - sending the ball one way and going round him the other side - but Gattuso's shot was charged down.
It was a more open game now and Kalac parried a Fernandinho rocket and an even more dangerous strike from Ilsinho, but Kaka once again had a great chance to seal the result by waltzing past the defence only to fire straight at Pyatov.
Daniele Bonera replaced Giuseppe Favalli at left-back, but Kaka really could not have gone any closer to a goal. He went flying past a defender, shrugging off a foul, to get to the byline and his angled drive rolled along the goalline to clip the inside of the upright and go out!
It didn't matter, as from the resulting Pirlo corner Seedorf was able to thump the ball on to the post from the edge of the area and this time it ricocheted inwards to make it Milan 3 - Shakhtar 1.
Kaka was unstoppable and chested down a Seedorf chipped pass to be closed down at the last second, then Nesta's glancing header from six yards also took a decisive deflection.
Seedorf made it 4-1 with a stunning effort from almost 20 metres. Pirlo's corner was punched out to the D where the Dutchman hammered a spectacular volley with the inside of his right foot that soared under the bar.
Kalac got down well to tip Lewandowski's piledriver out and Gilardino was granted a standing ovation by the crowd as he made way for Serginho. Milan moved to a 4-4-2 with Seedorf supporting Kaka.
Kalac palmed a Lucarelli strike on to the side-netting and Lewandowski's free header went wide. Kaka deserved a goal for a glorious individual performance and struck the side-netting, but Seedorf also made it a hat-trick when he tried to walk the ball into the net and then attempted to lob Pyatov.
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