TWO-GOAL HERO: Alexandre Pato received a lot of attention from Madrid players but still managed to score twice. (PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images)
Milan’s victory makes them now joint table toppers with Real Madrid in Group C with six points each. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knock out stages of the competition in February.
At the start of the game when players shake hands, Kaka, who Real signed from Milan in the summer, received a warm welcome from his former Milan teammates.
Real Madrid started the first half in great style despite missing key players Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy. However Raúl González picked up the mantle and scored Madrid’s opener after 19 minutes.
It was the Spaniard’s 66th Champions League goal and probably not his most stylish one, as it came from a horrific goalkeeper error by Milan’s Dida. A long distance shot from Esteban Granero was bobbled and fumbled by the Dida. Raúl pounced on the loose ball and slotted it into the gaping net.
Milan seemed to sit back and defend deep in their end, inviting Madrid to come toward them. Usually, when these teams meet, it’s the home team that tends to come out on top, so it looked like a done deal when the first half ended with Milan down a goal without a shot on target.
Second Half
But the shots on target statistic was essentially reversed in the second half with ten for Milan compared to one for Madrid. Milan started pushing forward with real haste after the hour mark.Real Madrid needed to shut the door with another goal, but failed to do so before conceding to Milan after 62 minutes. The equalizer came from a stunning 35-yard shot from Andrea Pirlo, which came against the run of play. Prior to the equalizer, Milan had no shots on target and this goal was the stimulus the Italians needed. From then on they pressed forward with more gusto.
Four minutes later, the ball was in the back of the Real Madrid net again. Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini sent a terrific through ball that Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas tried to charge down but missed. This left young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato with an open goal, which he duly converted.
Five minutes after that Milan fullback Gianluca Zambrotta’s long shot scraped past the outside of the post. Madrid was on the ropes and Milan was in the ascendancy.
The Royston Drenthe substitution after 66 minutes paid off for Real as he puts the hosts back on level terms 10 minutes later. He took a short corner from Raúl on the edge of the penalty area and drove a long and low shot into the bottom left corner past Dida.
The second half was played with great pace, the action moved from one end of the pitch to the other in complete contrast to the first half.
Milan finished off Madrid with an 88th-minute goal. Clarence Seedorf’s pinpoint pass found an unmarked Pato at the back post and the Brazilian volleyed the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the night.
Milan gladly took all three points back to Italy. The reverse fixture will take place at the San Siro on Nov. 3. The Milan fans will have a chance to see their former hero Kaka once again.
