Match report: Milan 4 - Siena 0

Above: Borriello scores

• Goals scored: Ronaldinho (penalty) 12', Borriello 28', Ronaldinho 72', Ronaldinho 89'
• What happened: Milan are in second place in Serie A; Siena are in last. Siena lost their goalkeeper to a red card in the first ten minutes. I spent most of the game worrying that Milan players would get hurt.
• Milan players who scored a hat trick today: Ronaldinho
• Milan players whose goals are always spectacular-looking: Borriello-- today he took a pass from Pirlo and volleyed it in even though he was turned away from goal.
• Milan players who appeared to be possibly injured today: Nesta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Flamini and Antonini
• Milan players who were taken off either because they actually were injured or as a precaution: Nesta and Flamini
• Order of excellence of Milan's regular starting defenders this year: Thiago Silva, Nesta, Antonini, Abate
• How David Beckham has done so far: Nothing special
• Most interesting rumor reported by the announcer: Last week the Milan players were watching Inter play Siena on television. Inter was losing late but came back to win in injury time. When the game was over, one of the Milan players was so angry that they destroyed the television set.
• Who Milan play next: Inter
• What this match teaches us: Next Sunday's match against Inter is very, very important.

Above: Milan coach Leonardo stands on the sidelines

Below: David Beckham looks at the ball

Highlights are below:

Match report: Juventus 0 - Milan 3

Above-- Nesta celebrating his goal

Below-- Gattuso in action

• Goals scored: Nesta 29', Ronaldinho 72', Ronaldinho 88'
• What happened: Second place Milan beat third place Juventus in Torino. Despite the excellent result, the match was sort of boring.
• How the goals were scored: All three goals were from corner kicks, which apparently Juventus do not know how to defend anymore. Actually, to be fair, I am not sure how well Juventus defended on the last goal, because the pitch was completely obscured, either by fog or else smoke from the fire set by angry fans. (See photos below)
• What this match teaches us: Milan are the only team left who can catch Inter.

Highlights are below:

This is Nesta, but the reporter thinks it is Inzaghi

In May of 2007, Milan defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Champions League final in Athens. The hero of the match was Filippo Inzaghi, who scored both of Milan's goals. Afterwards, reporters were eager to ask Inzaghi a few questions.

Match report: Napoli 2 - Milan 2

• Goals scored: Inzaghi 2' (See photo above), Pato 6', Cigarini 90', Denis 90+3'
• What happened: Milan scored twice inside of six minutes. They then became casual and careless. Both sides started committing lots of fouls. Napoli scored twice in the last five minutes-- tie game.
• Milan players who left the game after ten minutes due to unspecified injuries: Nesta
• Milan players sent off: Abate
• Napoli strategy for the first ninety minutes: Appeal for penalties every time you get near the penalty area. Shoot the ball straight at Dida even if he is lying down in front of a wide open goal.
• Napoli strategy for the last five minutes: Score goals.
• Number of Milan goals correctly disallowed for offsides: Two-- one by Inzaghi and one by Borriello
• What this match teaches us: It is not possible to kill off eighty-nine minutes of a game.

Above: Cigarini scores.

Below: Dida looks at the ball after Denis has headed it into the net to tie the score.

Below: Leonardo looks sad as he walks off the field after the match.

Highlights:

Another official announcement from AC Milan

Yesterday, Alessandro Nesta scored twice on headers to lead Milan to a 2-1 victory at Chievo. Today, AC Milan made this announcement on their website:

A.C. MILAN OFFICIAL NOTE

10/26/2009

MILAN - A.C. Milan communicate that the footballer Alessandro Nesta was subjected to the reduction of a small fracture in his nasal bones by dr. Paolo Marconi. The Rossoneri player will be regularly available for tomorrow's training, ahead of the match in Naples.

Above-- Nesta scores his second goal.

Match report: Chievo 1 - Milan 2

• Goals scored: Pinzi 7', Nesta 81', Nesta 90+2'
• What happened: For the third game in a row, Milan started out in a disorganized manner and gave up an early goal. They then spent the rest of the match desperately trying to catch up.
• Nesta's first goal: Pirlo crossed the ball in. Borriello headed the ball off the cross bar. Nesta headed the rebound in past a bunch of defenders.
• Dida's save: In the 91st minute, Milan goalkeeper Dida made a fantastic save on a header by Chievo. His body was going one way, and he had to reach out with his hand in the other direction to stop the shot.
• Nesta's second goal: Not even a minute after Dida's save, Nesta scored another goal. This one was also a header (off a corner kick). Chievo had played quite well, but ultimately were unlucky.
• Milan's jerseys: Milan wore jerseys I had never seen before-- all black with three red stripes running down the sleeves. They look just like their standard road jerseys, except in black instead of white.
• Players who looked completely lost: Huntelaar
• Defenders who came forward to attack over and over again: Oddo
• Players who never get in the game anymore: Jankulovski
• Amusing things about Pirlo: Early on in the match, he and a player from Chievo were laughing at the referee for making a bad call. Also, his captain's armband was white.
• Best player for Chievo: Sorrentino (goalkeeper)
• Chievo players who are Albanian: Bogdani
• Chievo players who look like Ben Stiller: Pellissier (picture below in a previous match)

• Where Milan stands in the Serie A table: Milan has 15 points, tying them with 4th place Palermo and 5th place Fiorentina. Since Milan is behind on goal differential, they are currently in 6th place.
• What this match teaches us: When Milan play well, they may be difficult to beat.

Video highlights are below--

Picture of the Day

Happy Birthday Nesta! And happy [Italian] Father's Day!