Football United

Milan came through a tough test at home to Sampdoria to gather a 1-0 win thanks to a second-half header from Kaka. The Rossoneri lost both captain Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta to injury in the first period but showed great determination and application to the task to record their seventh straight league win, and ninth in all competitions, to move to the top of the table on 63 points. Third-placed Samp came to the San Siro with a game plan of containment and breaking on the counter-attack and it took the man-of-the-moment, Kaka to break the deadlock on 64 minutes as he met a wonderful Andrea Pirlo cross to place a firm header in the back of the net. The visitors did increase the pressure after that but Carlo Ancelotti’s men were never going to let their lead slip, with Jaap Stam making an important goalline clearance near the end.

MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Nesta (Costacurta, 44'), Stam, Maldini (Serginho, 34'); Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Rui Costa (Ambrosini, 75'), Kakà; Crespo.

SAMPDORIA: Antonioli; Zenoni, Pavan, Falcone, Pisano (Gasbarroni, 69'); Diana (Doni, 77'), Palombo, Volpi, Tonetto; Flachi, Rossini (Kutuzov, 20')

GOALS: 1-0, Kakà (65')

SERIE A

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Milan 28 63
2. Juventus 28 63
3. Internazionale 28 47
4. Sampdoria 28 47
5. Udinese 28 45

Source: acmilan.com