MILAN 4-1 CHIEVO
Ricky Kakа turned on the style to claim a hat-trick to move Milan back into second place following an empathic win over Chievo after going a goal behind. Carlo Ancelotti welcomed back Marcos Cafu for his first start since December while Andriy Shevchenko sat out the encounter as a precaution ahead of next week's derby. The game started 10 minutes late as a show of solidarity with the Inter team that had faced strong protests from their fans on their return to Milan after the match at Ascoli on Saturday evening.
Milan poured forward in the early stages, with Cafu an ever-willing outlet on the right flank. The Brazilian cut inside to fire a powerful shot on his left foot, but the ball was deflected behind for a corner. Alberto Gilardino then rose well in the area to loop a header against the top of the crossbar as the momentum continued to be with the Rossoneri. However, the old defensive failings were to undo Milan on 13 minutes when a cross into the area allowed Sergio Pellisser to ghost in front of Cafu to drill a volley past Nelson Dida. Not surprisingly, Milan had to regroup and Clarence Seedorf was quick to test goalkeeper Alberto Fontana with a tidy shot from the edge of the area while Gilardino could only put his header straight at the keeper. Having restored some rhythm, parity was regained on 28 minutes as Alessandro Nesta produced a striker's finish, gathering a Kakа pass just inside the box to curl home a delightful right-footed shot.
It was just the lift the side needed and Milan came back out for the second half in determined fashion, with Rino Gattuso bursting into the area, but the midfielder's pass was just behind the advancing Kakа. Andrea Pirlo then curled in a dangerous free-kick which had the Chievo defence at sixes-and-sevens before the ball was hacked away to safety. Kakа's pace and awareness continued to cause panic whenever he had possession and it was no surprise that the young Brazilian gave Milan the lead. However, the execution was simplicity itself as Cafu played a cross-field pass to Seedorf whose neat flick released Inzaghi and when the striker's first-time shot was only parried, Kakа stroked the ball into the empty net. An errant hand in the Chievo area as Inzaghi was all set to volley enabled Kakа to double the advantage from the penalty spot just past the hour-mark, with a coolly-taken spot-kick down the middle. It was cruise-control after that although Kakа still had time to grab his first Serie A hat-trick as he followed up his fierce drive, which Fontana managed to beat away, to blast home.
Milan 4 - 1 Chievo
Goalscorers: Pellissier 13 (C), Nesta 28 (M), Kaka 62, pen 70, 90 (M)
Milan: Dida; Cafu (Simic 84), Nesta, Kaladze, Serginho; Gattuso, Pirlo (Vogel 79), Seedorf; Kakа; Gilardino, Inzaghi (Rui Costa 73)
Chievo: Fontana; Malagт, Moro, Mandelli, Lanna; Semioli, Brighi, Franceschini, Gemiti (Zanchetta 73); Amauri (Obinna 85), Pellissier (Tiribocchi 67)
Referee: Bertini