Rossoneri romp home with three goals in last 15 minutes

Birkirkara 0
AC Milan 5

January, 9, 2007. A day to remember for the legions of Milan fans, a day to remember for Birkirkara FC and, yes, a day to remember for all the Maltese aficionados of the Beautiful Game.

Milan, the world-famous Italian club that boasts 17 Serie A titles and six European Cups, graced the National Stadium, facing Maltese champions Birkirkara in a friendly.

The game was the climax of a training camp Milan are holding here, a seven-day work-out which not only engendered extensive publicity for the islands but also highlighted the great passion of the Rossoneri fans in Malta.

Played in a sporting spirit, the friendly produced the expected outcome as Milan ran out easy winners.

The quality of the football never reached spectacular heights with Milan drumming home their technical and physical superiority in the final 15 minutes with three goals, two of which by Filippo Inzaghi.

Birkirkara did their best to limit the damage but this proved a bridge too far especially after Milan changed no fewer than 10 players at the start of the second half.

The stadium was transformed into a cauldron of noise and colour with more than 17,000 spectators thronging the stands. Equipped with flags, scarves and balloons, the enthusiastic fans had made their way to Ta' Qali hours before kick-off.

Having spent the best part of the past seven days scouring the sports pages and news bulletins to get the latest information on Milan's whereabouts, the hordes of Rossoneri fans all headed in one direction yesterday... the National Stadium.

Needless to remark that the Milan faithful outnumbered those of Birkir-kara but credit to the Stripes who also turned up in large numbers.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan coach, had 10 players as substitutes but Kakà and Brazilian compatriot Dida were not on the list.

That is not to say that Ancelotti named an under-strength formation, what with the likes of Cafu, Maldini, Ricardo Oliveira, Alberto Gilardino, Andrea Pirlo and Christian Brocchi all in Milan's initial XI.

Stephen Azzopardi, the Birki-rkara coach, settled on an 18-man squad but to his and the team's fans relief, most of the key personnel took to the pitch.

Within two minutes from the start, Gilardino swivelled to reach a cross inside the box but skewed his shot wide and high.

Barely a minute later, Gilardino was at it again. Picked out by a long cross from Cafu, the Italy striker drifted behind the back-tracking Birkirkara defence but out came Andrzej Bledzewski to push the ball away.

For their part, Birkirkara fashioned two crosses by Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza and Michael Galea but the Milan defence easily repelled danger. A Cafu overlap down the right raised the alarm bells in the Birkirkara defence as the veteran wing-back crossed low into the six-yard area. Gilardino was first to react, touching the ball past Bledzewski who saved at the second attempt.

Birkirkara's Polish goalkeeper then distinguished himself with a top-drawer save as he quickly shifted to his right to palm away a goalbound header from Gilardino following a cross from Davide Di Gennaro.

In keeping with pre-match expectations, Milan shaded the early exchanges but Birkirkara stood their ground.

Oliveira darted into the box but blasted his shot high.

On 25 minutes Etienne Barbara powered his way past Matteo Bruscagin on the right before sending in a low cross. The sprinting Michael Galea allowed the ball to roll across the face of goal but no other Birkirkara player was on hand to reach Barbara's service.

The Milan fans rose in unison after 32 minutes as the visitors opened the scoring. Andrea Pirlo's renowned passing ability came to the fore as the Italy midfielder floated a cross into the path of Oliveira who lifted the ball past Bledzewski.

The first substitution of the game came from Azzopardi who brought on William Camenzuli for Lino Galea just before half-time.

As expected, Ancelotti virtually changed his entire line-up at the start of the second half, putting in the likes of Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi, Willy Aubameyang, scorer of Milan's winner in the 3-2 success over Juventus in the Luigi Berlusconi Cup, and new signing Leandro Grimi.

Borriello, given permission by the Italian Football League to take part in friendlies after being suspended for doping, nearly made an instant impact but his firm drive was stopped by Bledzewski.

Eight minutes into the second half, Birkirkara should have gained an equaliser when George Mallia's cross from the right fell on the head of Mifsud Triganza but the latter's attempt forced Davide Facchin into a point-blank save.

Sensing Milan's troubles to get their usual fluid game going, Birkirkara plucked enough courage to have a go at their illustrious opponents.

When Barbara charged down the right and summoned a grounder, saved by Facchin, the majority of the sell-out crowd responded with an appreciative applause.

Birkirkara's revival was cut short when, with 21 minutes of the second half gone, Milan doubled their lead.

Borriello exposed gaps in Birkirkara defence with a run down the left and a low cross which was diverted goalwards by Inzaghi. The Italy striker was foiled by Bledzewski but the rebound rolled to Seedorf who slotted home.

Fourteen minutes from time, Milan made it 3-0, Giuseppe Favalli beating substitute Sean Sullivan with a rising strike.

The floodgates now opened, Inzaghi delighting his many admirers in the crowd by tapping the ball home from Borriello's lay-off.

Inzaghi concluded the scoring on the stroke of time, chipping the ball over Sullivan from close range.

The heavens opened at the final whistle but the rain failed to dampen the spirits of the fans who were saluted by the Milan players.

Birkirkara: Andrzej Bledzewski, Roderick Sammut, Jonathan Holland, Kenneth Scicluna, Etienne Barbara, Mark Anthony Bonnici, Lino Galea, Roderick Briffa, George Mallia, Michael Galea, Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza.

Subs used: William Camenzuli, Matthew Calascione, Sean Sullivan, Adrian Ciantar, Patrick Borg, Clint Micallef, Joseph Zerafa.

Milan: Valerio Fiori, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Ricardo Oliveira, Alberto Gilardino, Dario Simic, Yoann Gourcuff, Andrea Pirlo, Christian Brocchi, Davide Di Gennaro, Matteo Bruscagin.

Subs used: Davide Facchin, Clarence Seedorf, Willy Aubameyang, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi, Marco Borriello, Alex Guerci, Leandro Grimi, Giuseppe Favalli, Daniele Bonera.

Referee: Anton Zammit.

Scorers: Oliveira 32; Seedorf 66; Favalli 76; Inzaghi 80, 89.