Skip Channel4 main Navigation

|Powered By Google


-



Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/07 (19.30 UK)
Milan 0 - 0 Torino
Stadio Meazza

Milan's San Siro curse persists, as poor finishing and Torino goalkeeper Matteo Sereni held them to a 0-0 draw. The Diavolo have now scored five times as many goals on their travels as at home.

The Rossoneri were buoyed by their 5-0 demolition job at Sampdoria, but were yet to win on home turf in Serie A this season. Gennaro Gattuso was rested, while Ronaldo, Marek Jankulovski and Massimo Oddo were on the treatment table. Toro were without Alvaro Recoba, Vincenzo Grella, Matteo Rubin, Simone Barone, Ivan Franceschini and the suspended Tommaso Vailatti missed out, but David Di Michele made his debut for the Granata after the end of his three-month ban for a betting scandal.

Kaka tried to batter down the Toro defence then tested Matteo Sereni with a snapshot from distance and had a shot charged down.

Milan really should have scored on 16 minutes. Clarence Seedorf skipped past Gianluca Comotto on the left and crossed for Alberto Gilardino. The former Parma striker hooked it down and hit it on the bounce, but Sereni got across to the back post for a desperate point-blank reaction save.

Paolo Zanetti drilled a couple of efforts wide from 20 metres, but in the space of 10 seconds there were two fantastic chances for both teams. First Alessandro Nesta's perfectly-timed tackle stopped Di Michele in the area, then Seedorf's through ball released Gilardino to fire wide of the near post.

Andrea Pirlo tried a cheeky free kick almost from the corner flag that Sereni flew to fingertip over the bar, while Kaka sprinted through the centre of the Granata back line only to drill wide.

Pirlo was effective in defence, intercepting a dangerous Di Michele-Alessandro Rosina duet and dribbling it clear inside his own penalty area, earning the applause of San Siro.

Toro went close with Rosina's snapshot wide and Giuseppe Favalli stuck by the Under-21 starlet to close him down in the six yard box. Gilardino couldn't quite get his head to Seedorf's centre and on the stroke of half-time Kaka's ball across the face of goal was deflected out by Cesare Natali.

Milan really should have broken through in first half stoppages. Sereni first parried a Pirlo control and strike from the edge of the area, then did the same on Gilardino's follow-up.

Sasa Bjelanovic replaced Nicola Ventola for the restart, but within 90 seconds he had been booked for a tackle from behind on Kaka.

Marcos Cafu's cross found Kaka with his back to goal for an acrobatic overhead kick that whistled just over the top corner. However, moments later Di Michele skimmed the far post at the other end with an angled drive after he had cut back past Nesta.

There were penalty appeals as Natali shoulder-charged Massimo Ambrosini in the box, but the referee waved play on on 53 minutes. Nesta had a header deflected wide off Natali's back and from the resulting corner Pirlo's splendid volley skimmed the base of the upright.

Milan still couldn't break through, so Carlo Ancelotti threw on attacking figures Serginho and Pippo Inzaghi. Di Michele continued to be dangerous as Kakha Kaladze cleared a pass into the centre for Rosina, while Sereni captured a Serginho cross-shot.

Toro's first real shot on goal came on 69 minutes with Rosina's sudden snapshot just past the near post, but Nelson Dida was yet to make a single save.

Sereni beat away a Cafu strike from the byeline when the Brazilian should have crossed into the centre. Milan had a fantastic opportunity with Seedorf's pass with the outside of his right foot freeing Inzaghi, but he went round Sereni and narrowed the angle too much, hitting the side-netting of an empty net.

Cesare Natali was stretchered off with a calf problem, but Dida got down to hold a scuffed Di Michele effort. Ambrosini's looping header was off target and Milan could not break the deadlock.


Milan: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli (Serginho 63); Brocchi, Pirlo (Inzaghi 63), Ambrosini; Seedorf (Gourcuff 78), Kakà; Gilardino

Torino: Sereni; Comotto, Natali (Di Loreto 81), Dellafiore, Lanna; Motta (Bottone 56), Corini, Zanetti; Rosina, Ventola (Bjelanovic 46), Di Michele

Ref: Tagliavento



Contact us:
fieditorial@channel4.com


Pictures: Richiardi (Milan)
& Getty Images (UK)


All material on this website is © C4 & JDT Sports Productions. All rights reserved.Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of C4.
Republication or redistribution of content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.