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MILAN 2-1 LECCE

/noticias.info/ Filippo Inzaghi scored a last-gasp winner to give Milan maximum points against Lecce at the San Siro. The striker was at full stretch to meet an Andrea Pirlo header and volley home from close range. Pirlo put the Rossoneri ahead on three minutes, with a curling free-kick from the edge of the area but Alex Konan equalised on 66 minutes before Inzaghi joined Andrea Shevchenko in attack to set up a dramatic finale.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti was without the injured Marcos Cafu and Kakà which meant Jaap Stam played at right-back, with Rui Costa playing in the more advanced position behind the strikers Shevchenko and Alberto Gilardino. Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta played in the centre of defence, with Serginho at left-back. Rino Gattuso, Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf lined up in midfield as they had done in Istanbul in the midweek Champions League game.

On a chilly evening, the home fans were warmed by Milan’s spirited start to the game as Pirlo fired home on three minutes. Shevchenko was fouled twenty metres out and the midfielder stepped up to leave goalkeeper Vincenzo Sicignano rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the corner of the net. Milan continued to dominate possession and should have extended their lead through Gilardino who first was denied by a Erminio Rullo challenge in the area and then the striker skipped past Sicignano but pushed the ball too wide and could only pull his shot beyond the far post. Shevchenko then found space on the edge of the area but Sicignano kept the Ukrainian’s low drive out with his feet. Seedorf, Gattuso and Rui Costa all went close before Gilardino was left one-on-one with goalkeeper but elected to lob the ball from the edge of the area and missed the target again.

Milan kept up the pressure in the second half and Shevchenko went on a dribble past three defenders but instead of shooting tried to set-up Gilardino only to over-hit his pass. Then Serginho’s impressive solo run ended with a shot deflected inches past the upright but the Brazilian picked up a leg injury and was replaced by Alessandro Costacurta. Sicignano used his feet again to block a stinging Rui Costa effort and it seemed as if the home side would pay for their wastefulness in front of goal when Stam failed to get goalside of Mirko Vucinic and the striker’s deflected header dropped for Konan to tap in from close range. Shevchenko scuffed a volley wide and on 73 minutes Inzaghi was brought on for Gilardino, with Marek Jankulovski coming on for Gattuso soon after. The Czech Republic international almost found the back of the net with a swerving long-range but there was more goalmouth action to come in the five minutes of added time as Nesta saw a shot punched away by Sicignano. The San Siro’s despair turned to delight with less than a minute to go as Inzaghi popped up to score a trademark goal to keep Milan in sight of the top of the table.

Milan 2 - 1 Lecce
Pirlo 3 (M), Konan 66 (L), Inzaghi 94 (M)

Milan: Dida; Stam, Nesta, Maldini, Serginho (Costacurta 63); Gattuso (Jankulovski 79), Pirlo, Seedorf; Rui Costa; Shevchenko, Gilardino (Inzaghi 73)
Lecce: Sicignano; Cassetti, Diamoutene, Stovini, Rullo; Camorani (Giorgino 83), Ledesma, Pinardi (Marianini 76); Valdes (Cozzolino 73), Konan, Vucinic

Referee: Tombolini
Yellow cards: Nesta, Diamoutene, Konan, Camorani
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