Fiorentina took maximum points away at the San Siro, as they easily beat AC Milan 3-1.
Goals by Alberto Aquilani, Borja Valero and Mounir El Hamdaoui ensured Giampalo Pazzini’s second half effort was nothing more than a consolation.
The home side had plenty of possession in the first half but looked very disjointed, and there was no real fluidity in their play. The Rossoneri were limited to long range efforts from Stephan El Shaarawy and Riccardo Montolivo, all of which ended harmlessly wide.
La Viola took the lead after only 10 minutes when former AC Milan midfielder Alberto Aquilani finished off a fine combination move created by Adem Ljajic and Luca Toni. His left foot shot was too accurate for Christian Abbiati as it nestled into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
However, the first half turning point was the penalty miss by Alexandre Pato on 32 minutes, after the Brazilian himself had been fouled by Facundo Roncaglia whilst challenging for an aerial ball. Pato’s penalty was truly shocking, sending the ball high above Emiliano Viviani’s crossbar.
It proved a very expensive miss, as five minutes later Borja Valero dribbled unhindered past Montolivo and Philippe Mexes to send his left footed drive past Abbiati and into the back of the net. The AC Milan players’ weak tackles in the box might have been conditioned by the earlier penalty decision, as the Fiorentina midfielder coasted past Mexes especially with apparent ease.
The second half saw Max Allegri bring on both Bojan and Pazzini for the disappointing Pato and Urby Emanuelson. The Rossoneri strategy was immediately evident as they pumped many crosses into the box in the hope of finding the head of Pazzini. Vincenzo Montella’s men dealt with much of the aerial bombardment but on 58 minutes, AC Milan finally pulled a goal back. El Shaarawy’s cross was met by the backheel of Mexes who was unlucky to see his clever effort hit the base of the post. However, Pazzini prodded home the rebound to give his side some hope.
The game became littered with fouls and yellow cards as both sides tried to hault the other in any way possible. But with three minutes remaining, the dutch-morocann El Hamdaoui curled in a fantastic shot from the edge of the area which sailed past Abbiati and seal all the points for Fiorentina.
