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Italian Serie A- Ac Milan Fail To Win Against Livorno At Home
Milan lost its chances of cutting Inter’s advantage at the top this last Sunday; the team drew 1-1 at home to Livorno (15th) during the 22nd week of the Italian Serie A League. AC Milan finished with a miserable week: the team lost its last Serie A game against Inter 2-0 and then was eliminated by Udinese in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals last Wednesday. Milan remains second in the standings with 41 points. Roma, which won 2-1 against Siena, is now in third. Standings leader Inter, with 49 points, suspended its game against Parma due to a snowstorm. In the opening minutes of the Milan-Livorno game, the teams both lacked pace and suffered offensively. However, as Milan players relaxed into the game, they were able to create openings. At minute 16, Ronaldinho had an opportunity to score with a long-range free kick, but goalkeeper Francesco Benussi saved, albeit with difficulty. At minute 37, the Brazilian was at it again, sending a ferocious shot that struck the upright. Milan finally found the net in the last stages of the first half with Massimo Ambosini. After a delivery cross from David Beckham that Livorno goalkeeper Benussi cleared, Ambrosini latched on the ball and scored for the Rossoneri from the middle of the area at minute 44. The goal was Ambrosini’s first of the season. The play ended the first half in favor of Milan 1-0. In the second half, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar entered the game, replacing Marco Borriello, who had been injured. Huntelaar had great opportunities in the attack but kept missing his long-range shots and headers. Milan seemed confident on top, but the Livorno team brought a surprise, abruptly leveling the score. The point came as a result of mis-hit shot from Claudio Belluci from outside the penalty box, a shot directed by Cristiano Lucarelli from close range. Lucarelli then effortlessly beat goalkeeper Cristian Abbiati, evening the score at 1-1. Suddenly face to face with Livorno, Milan went in search of another goal, creating a number of opportunities in Livorno’s area. However, the team just couldn’t convert for the win. In the final minutes of the game, Milan tried everything – but with no success. The game ended with a tie, 1-1, and AC Milan lost its opportunity to decrease Internazionale’s advantage in the standings. Milan coach Leonardo said that he didn’t think his team played poorly; however, a lack of effectiveness in the offense prevented the win. “This afternoon I think we were missing a little piece of cynicism and although we didn’t play a bad game, we lacked that swagger that we have shown in recent weeks. The game against Inter could have changed the course of the season but unfortunately it didn’t go that way. Although this afternoon we didn’t manage to secure the victory with this result, we are still in second place in the standings and have closed the gap to eight points,” said Leonardo. AC Milan’s next match will be against Bologna as visitors on February 7th, whereas Livorno will face Juventus at home on Saturday February 6th.
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