Serie A: AC Milan 2:2 Catania - match report
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Source: Football Italia

Scorers: Maxi Lopez 12 (C), Ricchiuti 43 (C), Borriello 48, 80 (M)

Milan fought back from 2-0 down with a Marco Borriello brace, but it's not enough to stop them effectively dropping out of the title battle.

The Rossoneri insisted they were still in the Scudetto race, but needed to take advantage of Inter's slip-up at Fiorentina last night. They welcomed a Catania side full of enthusiasm after giant-killing sprees against Inter, Juventus, Fiorentina and Palermo. Jorge Martinez, Augustyn, Cristian Llama and the suspended Silvestre didn't make the trip. Milan missed David Beckham, Alessandro Nesta, Alexandre Pato, Daniele Bonera and Marek Jankulovski.

Straight away Ronaldinho scuffed a volley off target, but it was Catania who took a shock lead at San Siro.

Adrian Ricchiuti threaded through to release Maxi Lopez and the snooker shot was not particularly powerful, but precise enough to slide across Nelson Dida and into the far bottom corner.

Catania continued to pour on the pressure and Terlizzi blasted a corner over the bar from six yards.

A free kick was touched on for Clarence Seedorf to sting Mariano Andujar's palms. The goalkeeper timed his intervention perfectly to pluck Dinho's cross off the head of Marco Borriello.

Ronaldinho was furious when the referee awarded a free kick against him, as Alvarez had seemed to push the Brazilian over in the box.

Borriello had a good chance, forcing Andujar into a save at his feet from Ronaldinho's cross.

However, it was Catania who went 2-0 up with a classic counter-attack! Maxi Lopez got to the byline and chipped up a cross for Ricchiuti's free header from six yards. Ricchiuti had also started the move and spread the play for Lopez, but nobody was marking him.

Ignazio Abate's angled drive was deflected out for a corner, but Milan's finishing remained horribly disappointing.

The Rossoneri got themselves back into the game after the restart. Seedorf knocked down Andrea Pirlo's cross for Borriello's header from six yards.

Borriello wanted a penalty because he was trying to turn in the box, but Giuseppe Mascara was holding on to his wrist. Mathieu Flamini replaced the injured Giuseppe Favalli, so Massimo Ambrosini had to improvise as a centre-back.

Dida palmed a Mascara free kick over the bar. Leonardo threw on Pippo Inzaghi and Amantino Mancini.

Borriello completed the comeback from 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go. He chested down Abate's cross from the right and thumped the right-foot finish past Andujar from eight yards with Inzaghi getting out of the way.

Catania nearly restored their lead following a series of howlers from Dida and Ambrosini, but the goalkeeper was able to capture the ball before Maxi Lopez could make the most of it.

The final minutes were simply a siege on Andujar's goal. Inzaghi got round the back of Nicolas Spolli to reach Pirlo's ball over the top, but stumbled and fired at Andujar's legs.

Another Inzaghi chest and volley was smothered on the ground.

Milan: Dida; Abate, Thiago Silva, Favalli (Flamini 63), Antonini; Pirlo, Ambrosini; Seedorf (Mancini 74); Ronaldinho, Borriello, Huntelaar (Inzaghi 74)

Catania: Andujar; Alvarez, Spolli, Terlizzi, Capuano; Ricchiuti (Delvecchio 72), Carboni (Ledesma 61), Biagianti; Izco (Potenza 83), Lopez, Mascara

Ref: Orsato

You can watch match highlights on Free Soccer Highlights.

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