| Super Pippo Inzaghi came off the bench to change the game by scoring two and setting up another for Kaka as Milan won 2-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Rossoneri had demolished Donetsk 4-1 at San Siro on October 24, but came into this tie off the back of a dismal Serie A run of results. It was a head-to-head battle for leadership of Group D and Ronaldo made his first Champions League appearance for the club, albeit on the bench. Serginho made a rare start at left-back, as Marek Jankulovski was injured. Shakhtar left out Olexander Kucher, whose poor marking of Alberto Gilardino gave away two goals in their last meeting.
There was a minute's silence before kick-off and both teams wore black armbands to mark the passing of Milan's Swedish legend Nils Liedholm.
Andriy Pyatov smothered an early Serginho effort and Brandao just failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross from six yards, while Razvan Rat's free kick skimmed the upright. Mircea Lucescu had warned he would field a far more prudent squad and that was certainly the case, as the tempo slowed to a crawl.
Milan had a fine chance on 12 minutes when Alberto Gilardino chested down Andrea Pirlo's pass, but was closed down by a defender as he pulled the trigger.
There was almost a disastrous double howler, as Serginho's wayward clearance on a Rat cross went straight up into the air and Nelson Dida fumbled the ball, but captured it back before Brandao could tap into an empty net.
Gilardino's glancing header from Serginho's cross at the end of a long team move was off target, while Jadson's free kick was nodded straight into Dida's grateful arms by Dmytro Chygrynskiy. Kaka went into the book for a late tackle on Ilsinho and Gennaro Gattuso was carded for dissent.
There was real danger on 33 minutes, as Alessandro Nesta flung himself at Cristiano Lucarelli's feet to charge down his shot and Dida got a fingertip to Darijo Srna's follow-up that flashed across the face of goal.
Pirlo got his body in front of a Jadson strike from the edge of the area, as Shakhtar finally came out of their shell. Gilardino got a knock to the back and was limping for the final stages of the first half.
Straight after the restart Kakha Kaladze's poor clearance found Fernandinho for a daisy-cutter that shaved a coat of paint off the base of the upright with Dida beaten.
Milan were incredibly unlucky on 56 minutes, as Massimo Ambrosini's long looping header from Pirlo's free kick thumped the far post with the goalkeeper stranded and Gilardino could not turn in the rebound.
Gilardino was still not entirely recovered from that knock to the back and made way for Pippo Inzaghi. Pyatov plucked a Kaka header out of the air from a Pirlo corner kick, but Carlo Ancelotti's substitution proved to be inspired.
Within a couple of minutes of stepping on to the field after a long injury lay-off, Inzaghi ran on to Pirlo's through ball in the centre to thump a powerful quickly taken right-foot strike past Pyatov from 10 yards.
Dida grabbed Brandao's free header from close-range, as the Shakhtar striker hit it straight at the goalkeeper. Ambrosini was booked and will be suspended for the trip to Benfica.
Inzaghi changed the game completely, as he also set up Kaka for Milan's second. He held up the ball and drew three defenders to him before sliding it across for Kaka to curl in off the inside of the far post with the inside of his right foot.
Shakhtar were hit hard, but tried to aim from distance with Dida smothering a Jadson attempt. There was bad news for the Ukrainians, as Lucarelli limped off with a muscular problem. Paolo Maldini replaced Clarence Seedorf, moving the squad to a 4-4-2 with Serginho on the left of midfield.
The Rossoneri were fortunate not to concede moments later, as Pirlo was caught in possession and Fernandinho rushed into the area for a shot that was deflected just past the far post by Kaladze. Milan wasted a golden opportunity on the counter, as Kaka tried to pass to Inzaghi rather than shoot inside the box.
Dida got down to pin another Jadson strike, but Ronaldo was not to make his comeback here, as the final substitution saw Cristian Brocchi step on for the not 100 per cent fit Serginho.
It still wasn't over, as Inzaghi completed his brace in stoppages when Kaka returned the favour with an altruistic assist. The Brazilian was clear on the counter-attack, but rolled across to the unmarked Inzaghi, who was behind the line of the ball and therefore not offside, to fire home.
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