In-form AC Milan inflicted a home defeat on Roma
today to move to the top of the Serie A standings -
at least for a few hours.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the visitors ahead in the 17th
minute before Nicolas Burdisso equalised shortly after.
Alessandro Nesta restored AC Milan's lead at the half-hour
mark.
Ibrahimovic gave Milan a two-goal cushion with his
second goal of the game in the 78th minute.
Roma substitute Bojan reduced the arrears three minutes
from time but Milan held on for their fourth straight
league victory.
The result saw Milan go one point clear of Juventus,
who were playing at Inter later.
Roma, meanwhile, have gone down to their third loss
in four games.
The visitors went ahead in what was their first chance
of the contest.
Ibrahimovic got behind Alberto Aquilani's cross from
the right and his powerful header beat Roma goalkeeper
Maarten Stekelenburg.
Roma struggled to break Milan's defence until the 28th
minute when Burdisso scored his first goal of the season.
He ran into the six-yard box to meet Miralem Pjanic's
cross with his head and beat AC Milan goalkeeper Christian
Abbiati.
Roma's joy was short-lived as Milan went back in front
two minutes later.
Robinho's cross following a corner was met by Nesta,
who nodded past Stekelenburg.
Bojan missed a chance to restore parity in first-half
stoppage time when he fired wide from a good angle.
Roma continued to push forward after the break and
Nesta made a brilliant tackle to deny Bojan, who was
one-on-one with Abbiati to beat.
Before the hour mark, Pjanic's well-struck free-kick
was palmed over the bar spectacularly by Abbiati before
the keeper
produced another great save to deny Osvaldo.
Roma could not get back on terms during that spell
however, and Milan were soon back on the attack and
celebrating their third goal as Ibrahimovic showed excellent
precision to head Aquilani's cross into the bottom left-hand
corner of the goal.
The game was not over, though, as Bojan reduced the
deficit three minutes from time.
Bojan struck the ball into the back of the net after
Abbiati was unable to hold on to substitute Erik Lamela's
bullet strike.
Roma pushed men forward in search of a late equaliser,
but the Milan defence held firm to preserve the three
points.
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