Football United

Two goals from Andriy Shevchenko helped Milan to a 3-1 win over Reggina at the San Siro. The striker put the Italian champions ahead only for the visitors to draw before Kaka restored the advantage and then the Ukrianian hit his second, just before the final whistle.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti started Manuel Rui Costa in place of Clarence Seedorf in midfield and Filippo Inzaghi made his first start of the season alongside Andriy Shevchenko in attack. Kakhaber Kaladze came in at left-back, with captain Paolo Maldini continuing in the centre of defence in the absence of the injured Jaap Stam.

Milan enjoyed most of the possession in the early stages, with Reggina looking to play on the counter-attack and after eight minutes Shunsuke Nakamura tested Dida with a long range shot, which the goalkeeper gathered easily. However, on 11 minutes Shevchenko opened the scoring when he received a neat pass on the edge of the area from Kaka before drawing a defender and driving the ball straight down the middle and into the back of the net. Soon after Dida had to get down to block a Giandomenico Mesto shot. On 23 minutes, Rui Costa played a quick one-two with Shevchenko, but the midfielder could not keep his shot down and the ball cleared the crossbar. Just after the half-hour mark, Kaladze committed a foul on the edge of the area, but Nakamura hit his free-kick well over and almost immediately Milan were on the attack as Shevchenko broke down the left, only to see his cross deflected away for a corner by goalkeeper Nicola Pavarini. Kaka then tested Pavarini at the near post as the Rossoneri continued to press for a second goal.

Ancelotti made no changes at half time and the visitors came out strongly, with Alessandro Nesta forced to make a clearance from a right-wing cross. Milan were soon back on the attack and Shevchenko swept a low shot across the face of the goal. Then Kaka went on a run to the edge of the Reggina area before being tripped by Marco Zamboni who was booked. However, Rui Costa's powerful free-kick deflected off Kaka and the danger was cleared.



On 59 minutes, Reggina equalised when Ivan Franceschini rose at the back post to head home a Nakamura free-kick. Cafu almost restored the lead, as the full-back got behind the defence, but the goalkeeper parried the Brazilian's fierce shot away for a corner. Jon Dahl Tomasson replaced Inzaghi on 64 minutes, but it was Kaka who got the Rossoneri back in front moments later as the young Brazilian latched on to a loose ball inside the area, after Shevchenko's effort had been blocked, and hit a low shot into the corner of the net.

Clarence Seedorf then came on for Rui Costa on 68 minutes just in time to see Emiliano Bonazzoli somehow put a shot over from almost under the crossbar. With three minutes remaining Marco Borriello had a goal disallowed for an infringement in the area and Shevchenko put the game beyond doubt as the Ukrainian raced to the other end of the pitch and hit a low shot from the edge of the area beyond the diving Pavarini.

MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Kaladze; Pirlo (Brocchi, 90'), Gattuso, Rui Costa (Seedorf, 68'); Kakà; Schevchenko, Inzaghi (Tomasson, 63')

REGGINA: Pavarini; Franceschini, Zamboni, Cannarsa; Mesto, Tedesco, Mozart, Colucci (Ganci, 85'), Balestri; Nakamura (Borriello, 68'); Bonazzoli (Dionigi, 81')

GOALS: 1-0, Shevchenko (11'); 1-1, Franceschini (59'); 2-1, Kakà (66'); 3-1, Shevchenko (89')

Source: acmilan.com