Milan give Leonardo perfect send-off
Milan gave Leonardo the perfect send-off in his last match at the San Siro before leaving the Italian giants. The Brazilian announced last week that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season and his players responded by beating the Turin...
Milan gave Leonardo the perfect send-off in his last match at the San Siro before leaving the Italian giants.
The Brazilian announced last week that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season and his players responded by beating the Turin club 3-0.
Two goals from Ronaldinho after Luca Antonini's opener ensured Milan finished third in the Serie A table and also compounded Juve's agony as they could only end what has been a disappointing season in seventh.
With just four minutes gone Vincenzo Iaquinta should have done better when he had only Dida to beat but he fired wide of goal.
Milan took the lead in the 14th minute when Antonini was released by a chip over the defence from Clarence Seedorf and his shot hit the leg of a defender before looping over goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Ronaldinho netted the second when he shot low past Buffon from the edge of the area just before the half hour.
The Brazilian had started the move when he picked up possession in midfield and exchanged passes with Seedorf.
Ronaldinho gave the ball away but managed to win it back from Fabio Grosso before passing to Alexandre Pato.
His fellow Brazilian fed the ball back to Ronaldinho who shot low to Buffon's left to double Milan's advantage.
Andrea Pirlo fired well wide two minutes later after cutting in from the left and hitting a shot from the distance with his right foot.
The same player also shot over the bar from long range as Milan kept up the pressure.
Five minutes before half-time Alessandro Del Piero had Juventus' best chance of the half but his effort was tipped over the bar by Dida.
A minute later Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro headed just wide of the post as the visitors battled to get back into the game.
Thiago Silva then made a fine challenge to deny Iaquinta a shot on target after the forward had run on to a long ball and then the visitors wasted the subsequent corner.
Juventus started the second half with Alex Manninger on for Buffon in goal and Mauro Camoranesi replacing Hasan Salihamidzic.
Grosso wasted the first chance of the second half when he was set up in the Milan area but was robbed of possession as he took too long over the opportunity.
Grosso was booked five minutes into the second half when he fouled Pato from behind 25 yards from goal but Pato's swerving free-kick was comfortably punched clear by Manninger.
Ronaldinho scored his second after 67 minutes when Jonathan Zebina could only head the ball to the edge of the area.
The Brazilian took a touch to control the ball before side-footing across goal and past Manninger.
But the Brazilian was also booked when he took off his shirt to celebrate scoring the goal.
Dida waved farewell to the Milan fans when the Brazilian goalkeeper was replaced by Christian Abbiati with three minutes remaining.
In another match last night, Lazio beat 10-man Udinese 3-1.
Thomas Hitzlsperger put Lazio ahead with a deflected shot in the 15th minute only for Antonio Di Natale to equalise on the half-hour mark.
But things turned against Udinese when Mauricio Isla talked his way into a second yellow card and an early shower seven minutes later, and Lazio made use of their man advantage.
Sergio Floccari put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time before Cristian Brocchi made sure early in the second half.