Atalanta 1 - 1 AC Milan, Highlights
Filed under: AC Milan, Highlights, Italy, Ronaldinho
Milan’s uninspiring start to the season continued as they picked up only a point from their trip to struggling Atalanta. Leonardo’s team needed an 83rd-minute goal from Ronaldinho to earn them a draw against a team who played more than 50 minutes of the contest with 10 men.
Ronaldinho’s goal after the jump
Club vice-president Adriano Galliani this week gave Leonardo a vote of confidence amid reports that the Brazilian, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the Rossoneri helm over the summer, had lost the support of the dressing room.
But this result will hardly strengthen the manager’s position and two wins from their first seven games mean they are already well behind the Serie A pacesetters.
Antonio Conte’s side, still seeking a first win of the season, made the stronger start and had the first chance after nine minutes when Jaime Valdes’ low left-foot shot went narrowly wide of the target.
Milan hit back 10 minutes later when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finished off a slick move with a header which beat goalkeeper Andrea Consigli, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
However, the home side took the lead two minutes later when former Lecce striker Simone Tiribocchi took advantage of static Milan defending to beat goalkeeper Marco Storari with a well-placed low shot.
In the 27th minute Atalanta went close to doubling their advantage through Cristiano Doni, whose shot from the edge of the penalty area went narrowly wide.
Six minutes before half-time the home side were reduced to 10 men when Ivan Radovanovic picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Alexandre Pato.
The home side deserved their lead but Milan started the second half strongly and it needed a good low save by Consigli to deny Pato an equaliser just three minutes after the restart.
After 69 minutes Atalanta threatened when Tiberio Guarente crossed for Thomas Manfredini but he just failed to connect with the ball with the goal at his mercy.
Four minutes later Milan were unlucky not to level, with Ronaldinho seeing his attempt at the far post parried by Consigli and with Pato hitting the rebound against the crossbar.
However, the visitors finally made the breakthrough when Ronaldinho controlled a ball played into the Atalanta area expertly on his chest, before sweeping a powerful right-foot shot past Consigli.
The visitors went looking for the winner and Atalanta had to defend resolutely for the remainder of the contest.
They held out, with Milan’s only late chance of note seeing Consigli deny Clarence Seedorf’s shot from the edge of the box at the second attempt - although Filippo Inzaghi had strayed into an offside position anyway.




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