Milan suffer a second consecutive defeat

Diego Milito scored on his comeback to Genoa, but Milan suffer a second consecutive defeat that piles pressure on Carlo Ancelotti.

Talk of Ancelotti's dismissal was in the air after the disastrous 2-1 home defeat to Bologna and midweek 2-0 friendly loss with Swiss outfit Lugano. He needed time to make the new-look team gel, but it was something he could not afford.


With Pippo Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta sidelined, he at least welcomed back Kaka from a recurring knee problem to form a Ballon d'Or winning trident with Ronaldinho and Andriy Shevchenko. Former Genoa hero Marco Borriello was on the bench.

Milan supporters were banned from travelling to Marassi due to the intense rivalry and bloody history between the clubs following the death of Genoa fan Vincenzo Spagnolo in the 1990s.

Ronaldinho had an opportunity in the first minute, but Genoa slowly started to increase the pressure with Christian Abbiati smothering a long-range Andrea Gasbarroni effort.

Kaka went on a counter from his own penalty area, but Giuseppe Biava did enough to steer him wide and he eventually fired off target. Andrea Pirlo tried from distance and Ronaldinho's ambitious free kick missed the near post.

Instead, Genoa took the lea with a well-worked move. Milito brilliantly chested a Gasbarroni cross into the path of Giuseppe Sculli, who placed an angled drive past Abbiati.

Like in Week 1, the Rossoneri went behind despite seeing a lot of the ball. Mathieu Flamini and Kaka tried to fight back immediately with long-range shots.

The goal boosted Genoa's confidence and they began passing it around beautifully at great speed. Abbiati smothered a Milito angled drive.

Carlo Ancelotti caused shockwaves when he dropped the two big summer signings, as Sheva and Ronaldinho - who had been on international duty this week - made way for former Genoa hero Borriello and Clarence Seedorf.

Almost immediately Borriello had a spin charged down by Matteo Ferrari, but there was a scare as Abbiati had to fly to fingertip a cross off the head of Milito from six yards.

On 57 minutes Kaka was furious when he was booked for simulation as he tried to shrug off Giuseppe Biava in the box. He seemed to lose his footing, so it was a fairly harsh decision.

Alexandre Pato came on for a 4-2-3-1 system and his header was immediately off target. Kaka and Gasbarroni had efforts charged down, but Milan had a great chance to equalise on 83 minutes. Pato pounced on a lucky ricochet to bring a tough point-blank save out of Rubinho and Borriello's overhead kick turned the loose ball wide.

Massimo Ambrosini had been able to score against Bologna, but his turn in the box hit the side-netting, then Rubinho caught a Zambrotta piledriver. Milan were pouring forward, but it left space at the back where Antony Vanden Borre's counter was palmed away by Abbiati.

In the final minute the Rossoneri's ambitions were crushed as Paolo Maldini tripped Milito in the box. El Principe stepped up to take the penalty on his Serie A comeback after three years in Spain and blasted it into the roof of the net.

Milan Line Up: Abbiati; Zambrotta, Bonera, Maldini, Favalli; Flamini (Pato 68), Pirlo, Ambrosini; Ronaldinho (Seedorf 46); Schevchenko (Borriello 46), Kaka