Football United

Milan bounced back from the slip-up at Genoa to get back to winning ways at the San Siro against Lazio. Two first-half goals, within two minutes of each other, from Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka, took the Rossoneri to seven points in the table. Paolo Maldini was rested so Alessandro Nesta and Jaap Stam played in the centre of defence, with Marcos Cafu and Kakha Kaladze in the full-back roles. Massimo Ambrosini captained the side from the right of midfield alongside Andrea Pirlo and Clarence Seedorf, with Kaka in a more advanced position. Christian Vieri partnered Shevchenko in attack.

Milan had an aggressive start and took the lead on 12 minutes when Shevchenko teased the Lazio defence on the left of the area before turning inside and unleashing an unstoppable shot which left goalkeeper Matteo Sereni stranded at the near post. The crowd had little time to draw their breathe before Kaka doubled the tally two minutes later, with the simplest of tap-ins after Sereni had fumbled Pirlo’s deflected cross from the right. The visitors best chance fell to Luciano Zauri who burst past Nesta but Nelson Dida got down well to block. The Brazilian goalkeeper then touched a curling Massimo Oddo free-kick over the bar but Milan ended the half on the attack as Seedorf sent in a stinging shot.

Carlo Ancelotti made no chances at half time and Shevchenko almost scored a second when Seedorf threaded a delightful pass through the defence but the Ukrainians powerful drive was parried away by Sereni. Dida performed another fine save from Oddo’s low half-volley while Vieri went close with an overhead kick. Lazio had to play the final fifteen minutes with ten men after using up all their substitutes when Roberto Baronio was forced to limp off. Milan kept up the pressure and Ambrosini sliced a shot over from a promising position.

MILAN: Dida; Cafu, Nesta (Costacurta, 85'), Stam, Kaladze; Ambrosini, Pirlo, Seedorf (Gattuso, 75'); Kakà; Shevchenko, Vieri (Serginho, 81')

LAZIO: Sereni; Oddo, Siviglia, Stendardo, Zauri; Behrami (Manfredini, 46'), Dabo, Liverani (Baronio, 64'), Giallombardo (Pandev, 46'); Di Canio, Rocchi

GOALS: 1-0, Shevchenko (12'); 2-0, Kaká (14')

SERIE A

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. Juventus 4 12
2. Fiorentina 4 10
3. Palermo 4 10
4. Inter 4 9
5. Sampdoria 4 9
...
8. Milan 4 7