AC Milan defeated Celtic 0-3 at Celtic Park in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
It was by no means a spectacular performance by the Rossoneri but a clinical one, as goals from Kaka, Cristian Zapata and Mario Balotelli gave Massimiliano Allegri’s men all three points.
The home side dominated the opening phases of the game and were presented with the first clear cut chance, when in the eighth minute Charlie Mulgrew’s scuffed shot fell to Baram Kayal just inside the box. However, the Israeli took too long on the ball and Zapata managed to poke it out of play.
Despite having the better of the play, Celtic conceded on the 12th minute after Kaka nodded in the easiest of headers from a Valter Birsa corner. The Brazilian found himself completely free just six yards from goal and nodded home to put the Rossoneri ahead.
The Hoops came close to an equalizer on the 25th minute after James Forrest whipped in a menacing ball from the right hand side only for Derk Boerrigter’s header to be blocked.
Milan then immediately broke up the pitch and came close to doubling their advantage when Kaka slid in Balotelli, only for the Italian to blast his shot over the bar.
Mulgrew was next to come close for Celtic after a fortuitous deflection seen the ball land at his feet inside the box. However, he couldn’t dig the ball out his feet as he hit the ball straight at Christian Abbiati in the Milan goal.
Neil Lennon’s men should of drawn level immediately after the restart, after Virgil Van Dijk missed a golden opportunity. Mulgrew’s cross found the Dutchman free at the back-post but he smashed the ball straight at Abiatti.
The Scottish champions would come to rue their miss as Allegri’s side doubled their advantage just two minutes later – again coming from a corner. Substitute Antonio Nocerino found himself in acres of space and he fired the ball back across the box for Zapata to tap in at the back-post.
Celtic thought they had got themselves back in the game just before the hour mark when Van Dijk headed in after a superb Joe Ledley ball, however, he was correctly called offside.
The Rossoneri well and truly killed off the game on the hour mark thanks to Balotelli. The Italian out-muscled Efe Ambrose and slid the ball into the far corner from just six yards.
Celtic came close to pulling back a goal with ten minutes to go as Boerrigter’s free-kick took a deflection, but the ball went just past the post for a corner.
