Ancelotti blames referee for derby defeat

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has blamed referee Domenico Messina for his side's 3-2 defeat by city rivals Inter at the weekend.

Milan's first Serie A loss to their arch-rivals since March 2002 dropped them two places to fourth in the standings on 31 points, 11 behind leaders Juventus.

Ancelotti was particularly upset with Messina's decision to award Inter a first-half penalty after defender Alessandro Nesta had fallen in his own area as he protected the ball from Obafemi Martins.

It was a harmless-looking incident but Messina decided Martins had been deliberately obstructed and awarded a penalty, which Adriano converted to give Inter a 1-0 lead.

"We lost because of the usual, unfavourable episode," Ancelotti was quoted as saying yesterday.

"There was no penalty. It was a gift for them (Inter) and their other two goals were due as much to our mistakes as their skill.

"Overall, I'd say it was not a good performance by the referee."

Time is running out for Ancelotti to put things right. Milan have now lost three of their last four Serie A matches.

After Sunday's defeat the club's owner, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, admitted their hopes of winning the Serie A title had almost disappeared.

"The table speaks clearly," he said. "Whether Juventus are eight or 11 points ahead makes little difference, the Champions League remains our only real objective this season."

Last season's Champions League finalists have failed to impress in Europe either.

They came through a nervy 3-2 win over German side Schalke 04 to finish second in Group E and snatch a place in the knock-out rounds of the competition.

Various explanations have been given for Milan's fragility, including a psychological hangover from last season's defeat by Liverpool in the Champions League final, when they squandered a 3-0 half-time lead before losing on penalties.

That loss in Istanbul certainly left scars, but the weak points of the team are obvious, particularly at the back, where once world-class players are reaching the ends of their careers and suffering increasingly from injury problems.

Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Cafu, who have an average age of 37, were all out injured for Sunday's derby, leaving Ancelotti to field Kakha Kaladze in central defence and Serginho on the wing.

With Jaap Stam also the wrong side of 30 and Alessandro Nesta also approaching that mark, many Milan fans have been left wondering whether the club made a mistake in investing so heavily in strikers.

Former Parma striker Alberto Gilardino, who has scored eight Serie A goals this season, is relatively young but 32-year-old Christian Vieri, who controversially transferred from city rivals Inter, looks unlikely to justify his hefty salary.

An anonymous substitute appearance during the defeat by Inter must have been humiliating for Vieri, especially in front of his victorious former team-mates.

Berlusconi reiterated his faith in Ancelotti after the Inter game but without reinforcements in January it is difficult to see how Milan's fortunes will change and an early Champions League exit could cost the coach his job.

Serie A title race still open, says Mancini

Inter coach Roberto Mancini insists they can mount a serious title challenge to Serie A leaders Juventus after his side beat city rivals Milan 3-2 in a dramatic derby at the San Siro on Sunday.

Inter's victory, courtesy of a stoppage-time header by Brazilian striker Adriano, lifted them to second place with 32 points from 15 games, 10 points behind champions Juve who crushed Cagliari 4-0 in an earlier match.

"Juventus deserve to be where they are but the season still has a long way to go and we can still make up ground on them," Mancini said.

"When I was a player I won championships by making up nine points on Juventus and I lost others when I had a seven-point advantage.

"Everything depends on whether we manage to make up some ground before the halfway point of the season (on Jan. 15)."

Inter's players, having consolidated their team's position as one of Juventus's main challengers, will hope the win signals the start of a shift in the balance of power in Italy.

They last beat Milan in Serie A in March 2002. Whatever the outcome of the title race, Adriano's early-season goal drought has certainly ended.

The Brazil striker, who also scored Inter's opening goal from the penalty spot against Milan, has now got four goals in three matches following strikes against Ascoli in Serie A and Rangers in the Champions League in midweek.