..::Football III::..

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AC Milan open to Matri exit

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has opened the door for striker Alessandro Matri to leave the club in January.

The 29-year-old has managed just one goal in 18 appearances for the Rossoneri this season following his summer switch from Serie A champions Juventus.

With Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini on the books at San Siro, Galliani has hinted that Matri could be allowed to depart this month, along with one of goalkeepers Gabriel or Marco Amelia, who has requested a transfer.

"Gabriel? Let's see if we part with him or Amelia. Matri? We'll see, we have a lot of strikers. It's possible one might leave," Galliani told the assembled media at new signing Keisuke Honda's unveiling.

Galliani also moved to quash suggestions an enquiry has been made for Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, though he did suggest Milan will scour the market to find midfield replacements who are eligible for the Champions League.

"It's not absolutely certain a midfielder will come in. Obviously, if one came, he'd need to be available for the Champions League. There are opportunities abroad," he continued.

"It's a time when there are thousands of phone calls. Essien? There are no negotiations open for now.

"It's a market where I think many players will move, many want to change team and clubs are willing to sell."

 

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Arsenal weigh up January move for Draxler

Arsenal are weighing up a January move for Julian Draxler as they assess new options to reinforce their attack this month.

Arsene Wenger remains in the market for a 'special' forward over the next three weeks and is exploring the availability of the Schalke sensation in the wake of Theo Walcott's season-ending knee injury.

Diego Costa, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Fernando Llorente feature prominently on Arsenal's target list, while Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata is considered a back-up option on loan.

Draxler is a long-term target of the Gunners, who believe the 20-year-old German can be developed from a wide player into a centre-forward.

Wenger had already begun exploring the possibility of capturing Draxler this summer but is now considering an approach to Schalke this month.

The Bundesliga club are unlikely to be interested in selling their prize asset in mid-season, especially given the reported €48 million release clause inserted in the five-year contract Draxler signed last summer.

Arsenal's already thin forward options have been decimated further over the last week by the cruciate ligament injury that will sideline Walcott for the rest of the season and Nicklas Bendtner's damaged ankle ligaments, which Wenger expects to keep him out for three more weeks.

Goal understands that Bendtner is making good progress and could return earlier than expected, which is why Wenger sanctioned rookie striker Chuba Akpom's month-long loan to Brentford on Thursday.

Akpom's loan will be extended until the end of the season if Arsenal suffer no more forward injuries. Meanwhile, the return to training of Yaya Sanogo last Monday - the France Under-21 international who is still to make his first-team debut - has strengthened the squad.

Olivier Giroud is currently Arsenal's only fit senior centre-forward but the Frenchman has had a heavy workload this season due to the lack of viable alternatives.

Wenger had been reluctant to utilise Bendtner before his injury and has shown little faith in Walcott or Lukas Podolski moving inside from the flanks and spearheading the attack.

The Arsenal boss has admitted that he will have to delve into the January transfer market to bolster his centre-forward options, saying Walcott's injury has "accelerated" his plans for the winter window.

Goal revealed in December that Arsenal had dispatched scouts to monitor in-form Atletico Madrid striker Costa, who figures prominently on a five-man January striker shortlist compiled by the club, which also includes Paris Saint-Germain's Lavezzi, Juventus' Llorente and AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy, who has subsequently broken down with injury.

Wenger has also laid the foundationz for a loan deal for Spain Under-21 international Morata if he cannot secure a marquee forward in the notoriously difficult winter window.

 

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Manchester United 2-0 Swansea City: Welbeck & Valencia end champions' losing streak

Manchester United relieved some of the pressure on David Moyes as second-half goals from Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck secured three points from their Premier League meeting with Swansea City at Old Trafford.

The champions were not at their best in the first half, but Valencia opened the scoring just after half-time with his first goal at home in the league since December 2011 and Welbeck scored his sixth in as many league games as Moyes' men secured their first win of the year.

Chris Smalling replaced Jonny Evans (knock) in United's starting line-up following the defeat at Sunderland, while Darren Fletcher and Shinji Kagawa were preferred to Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley in midfield.

Captain Ashley Williams returned to the Swansea side as Michael Laudrup made four changes to the XI that won at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round.

United made a positive start and Nemanja Vidic fired over the crossbar from close range six minutes in after Swansea had failed to deal with Adnan Januzaj's dangerous free-kick.

Teenager Januzaj went close to an opening goal four minutes later when his measured, left-footed free-kick rattled the crossbar and Swansea suffered a blow six minutes later, as Jose Canas limped off to be replaced by Chico Flores.

Patrice Evra called Gerhard Tremmel into action after 27 minutes, but the defender's shot was comfortably dealt with by the Swansea goalkeeper.

The visitors were enjoying plenty of possession, but Welbeck should have put United in front 10 minutes before half-time when he fired wide of the far post from eight yards out after marauding right-back Rafael had picked him out.

The tricky Brazilian then produced some neat footwork before swinging in a cross that Kagawa headed back across goal and Tremmel could only palm the ball into the path of Valencia, who was left with a simple finish from close range to ease the tension at Old Trafford.

And they doubled their lead after 58 minutes, Januzaj involved once again as his cross was headed away and Welbeck was on hand to cutely guide the ball into the net after Evra had knocked the ball back into the area.

Smalling should have added a third goal after 65 minutes, but the defender inexplicably fired over the bar from point-blank range when it looked easier to score, before Kagawa also wasted a golden opportunity as United had to settle for just the two goals, but a precious three points.

 

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Atletico Madrid 0-0 Barcelona: Simeone's men hold La Liga champions

A goalless draw between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona on Saturday breathed life back into Real Madrid's La Liga title bid.

The clash between the top two in the Spanish capital failed to live up to its heavyweight billing, and Real can now close to within three points of both sides if they win at Espanyol on Sunday.

A point apiece keeps Barcelona on top of the table, ahead of Atletico on goal difference after a match of few chances, with the best falling to Diego Costa.

The Atletico striker, who has scored 19 league goals this season, turned wide from close range after a corner made its way to the back post, while Lionel Messi had a series of half-chances for Barca after coming on as a half-time substitute.

And while neither side lost ground on each other, they will nervously watch Carlo Ancelotti's men on Sunday and hope for a surprise result.

Despite scoring twice on his return from a hamstring injury in Wednesday's Copa del Rey win over Getafe, Messi had to start from the bench, as did Neymar, while midfielder Raul Garcia dropped to Atletico's bench in spite of his 12th goal for the season during midweek.The hosts made an excellent start, pressing Barcelona at every opportunity, and a delightful Arda Turan run, which saw him beat Jordi Alba and get to the byeline, led to his cross being inadvertently turned just over the crossbar by Gerard Pique in the fourth minute.

Diego Costa forced a flying save from Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes less than 60 seconds later, but the game settled down after and chances were few and far between.

Pedro had Barca's first meaningful shot in the 18th minute, although Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois comfortably saved it, and a corner at the other end should have been forced in by Costa, after Koke's delivery was flicked on, but the striker shot wide under pressure at the far post.

Pedro and Pique failed to convert half-chances before the break, but the introduction of Messi at half-time, in place of Andres Iniesta, failed to spark the visitors.Valdes made a stunning save to deny Koke from close range, but the goal would not have stood for offside, before Costa shot wide just before the hour-mark.

The impressive Turan sparked the counter-attack, winning the ball and releasing Costa, who missed the target with his left-foot effort from outside the area.Messi nodded a good Fabregas ball wide in the 69th minute, while Turan volleyed straight at Valdes on the turn with 11 minutes left.

Again Messi was Barcelona's main threat, and his powerful effort was well-saved by Courtois shortly after, but in the end, both sides had to settle for a draw.

 

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Barclays Premier League 2014.01.12 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2014.01.12 Fixtures

Newcastle United Vs Manchester City

Stoke City Vs Liverpool

Aston Villa Vs Arsenal

​

 

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La Liga 2014.01.12 Fixtures

La Liga 2014.01.12 Fixtures

Getafe Vs Rayo Vallecano

Real Betis Vs Osasuna

Espanyol Vs Real Madrid

Levante Vs Malaga​

 

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Serie A 2014.01.12 Fixtures

Serie A 2014.01.12 Fixtures

Torino Vs Fiorentina

Roma Vs Genoa

Atalanta Vs Catania

Cagliari Vs Juventus

Hellas Verona Vs Napoli

Sassuolo Vs AC Milan​

 

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Messi is an alien - Arda Turan

Arda Turan hailed the unworldly talents of Lionel Messi after Atletico Madrid and Barcelona drew 0-0 at Vicente Calderon on Saturday.

Messi made a return to action against Getafe on Wednesday after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury, coming on as a substitute to score twice in a 4-0 Copa del Rey win, before again starting on the bench against los Rojiblancos.

Turan, who exchanged shirts with the Blaugrana star after the game, was enthusiastic in praising Messi's quality and stressed that he felt that the world has never seen a better player.

"Lionel Messi is out of this world, he's an alien," the 26-year-old Turkey international told reporters.

"For me, he is the best player in the history of football."

Messi has been shortlisted for the 2013 Ballon d'Or alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery and is looking to win the award for a fifth consecutive time when the winner is announced in a ceremony in Zurich on Monday.

Atleti and Barcelona sit level on 50 points at the top of La Liga, six ahead of Real Madrid, who play Espanyol on Sunday.

 

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Mancini confident of January signings

Roberto Mancini is certain that Galatasaray can bring in the right players in January to support their quest for silverware in 2014.

The club have already signed Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Izet Hajrovic from Grasshoppers for a fee believed to be €3.5 million but Mancini is keen to add more acquisitions before the window closes.

Speaking to journalists, the Italian coach admitted that attracting top quality players is difficult in the middle of a season but is determined to continue his transfer business.

"It's hard to get good players in January transfer window," the 49-year-old told a press conference.

"But I'm sure that we will find what we are looking for.

"Hajrovic needs time to adapt to his new country," he continued, in reference to the Istanbul outfit's new acquisition.

"It's not easy to get used to things within three days. I think he will be a good prospect player for future."

Galatasaray are currently second in the Turkish Super Lig, eight points behind leaders Fenerbahce, and are looking forward to a last-16 Champions League clash with Chelsea.

"We've shown great progress in past three months," the former Inter and Manchester City coach added.

"But it's not enough for me, for our main target. We are going to play two difficult matches against Chelsea and we are also eight points behind Fenerbahce. We have to focus and work harder to achieve what we are headed for."

 

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Arsenal defender Gibbs demands title focus

Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs has urged his side to retain their title focus as they compete at the top of the Premier League.

After an opening-day defeat to Aston Villa, the Gunners won 14 of their next 19 league games to set the pace at the top of the table.

Arsenal travel to Villa Park looking to take their revenge on Monday and Gibbs has hailed a renewed sense of belief among the players and feels only a first piece of silverware in nearly nine years would satisy the squad.

"A trophy constitutes a successful season for Arsenal this year," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

"There is certainly a belief. We're in January and up there so we have to take that as a huge positive and behave like we are favourites.

"We have to remain positive. We've seen this season there are crazy results happening in the league."

 

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Martinez eyeing strong Everton run-in

Roberto Martinez is paying no attention to Everton's impressive Premier League placing and is only hoping for a strong end to the campaign.

The Merseysiders moved up to fourth in the top flight on Saturday courtesy of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Norwich City, with the arrival of new signing Aiden McGeady confirmed before kick-off.

Martinez has history of finishing campaigns strongly, leading Wigan to Premier League survival in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, but his sights are now set higher as Everton eye a first top-four finish since 2005.

When asked at which point he would begin to take the table seriously, Martinez told reporters: "The last nine games. In the league, I like to work towards the final third of the season.

"When you go into the last nine games of the campaign, that is when you get that extra significance from every point depending on where you are in the table and whether the other results affect your position.

"At the moment we're still trying to get as many points as we can and we're working towards that tally.

"Remember the last four games of the season at home - they are against the teams that we are fighting at the moment so we try just to get better and better.

"I thought some of the play we had was electrifying and really very good. We need to keep on improving and hope we can get into that final nine games of the season as strong as we can be."

Everton face the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City in the final nine games of the season.

 

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Pedro: Barcelona deserved a little more

Pedro says that Barcelona were unfortunate to only claim a point against Atletico Madrid after the sides drew 0-0 at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday.

A hard-fought encounter between the clubs ended with neither side able to find the net and both the Catalans and Atleti still sit level on points at the top of La Liga, separated by Barcelona's superior goal difference alone.

Speaking after the game, Pedro was complimentary about the quality of los Rojiblancos but admitted that he felt his side could have claimed all three points.

"It was a very intense game," the 26-year-old told reporters.

"We created chances and I think we deserved a little bit more.

"We're pleased because we went after the match from the first minute - we knew that we couldn't fail. We had chances to score, but we didn't manage to convert them.

"The Vicente Calderon is a very difficult stadium to play in, the fans really get into the match and that helps Atletico so that's why this is an important point.

"The coach is giving me opportunities and I feel good," he added when asked about his personal happiness at the club.

Barcelona and Atleti sit on the top of the table with 50 points each from 19 games, while Real Madrid, who face Espanyol on Sunday, are six points behind in third.

 

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Oxlade-Chamberlain can emulate Gerrard, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has the talent to emulate Steven Gerrard, insisting the Arsenal youngster has "the same qualities" as the England captain.

The 20-year-old has not featured for the Gunners since the opening-day defeat to Aston Villa after straining the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and Wenger has praised his mental strength in light of a serious injury setback.

"It was a blow to him but he has common sense and his feet on the ground," Wenger told reporters.

"He took it alright. He worked hard and it was longer than expected but at least he escaped surgery, which is important at his age."

Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to return to the Arsenal squad for Monday's trip to Villa Park after a 45-minute cameo for the Under-21 side during midweek.

Wenger is excited by the midfielder's progression and has drawn comparison between Oxlade-Chamberlain's potential and Liverpool stalwart Gerrard.

He added; "He has a good long ball, penetration from deep and a good quality to distribute and penetrate individually - certainly he has the same qualities as Steven Gerrard.

"At the moment, he is still in formation. It is good for his education as he plays left, right and central when needed. After 23 or 24 [years of age] you settle in a definite position."

Oxlade-Chamberlain will now be also setting his sights on a potential England recall ahead of the World Cup, with the last of his 13 caps coming against Scotland last summer.

Wenger highlighted Oxlade-Chamberlain's goalscoring display for the Three Lions in central midfield against Brazil last June, insisting: "His future will be [in that position].

"He has a good opportunity [to play at the World Cup]," Wenger added. "I think he will be in Hodgson’s plans as he can play central and wide. On that front England do not have too many players."

 

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Moyes denies claims of lengthy Van Persie injury

Manchester United boss David Moyes is cautious to put a date on Robin van Persie's return from injury but has rubbished reports that he will be out until March.

The striker has started just one game in all competitions since scoring the winner against former side Arsenal on November 10.

Reports in some quarters had suggested Van Persie could face a further six weeks on the sidelines, but Moyes insists that is not true: "I don't know where that has come from. That would be wrong information as far as I am concerned."

Goal exclusively revealed on Thursday that Van Persie was closing in on a return to the first team within 10 days after working one-on-one with PSV fitness coach Arno Philips in his native Netherlands.

Speaking ahead of United's 2-0 win over Swansea, Moyes confirmed the striker's work with Philips, who he has also worked with following previously injuries.
"We're trying to get Robin back. He's got a thigh strain similar to the one he had at Arsenal [during the 2007-08 season].

"He never had an injury all last season. He took a corner against Shakhtar and felt his thigh so it was a freak thing really and not [aggravating] an injury he'd had before.

"It's a different injury. We have to manage it correctly and he's been to Holland to see a guy he works with there.

"So we're doing everything we can to give him the right treatment and get him back as soon as we possibly can. But I don't want to put a date on his return."

 

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Martino: Barcelona will grow after Atletico draw


Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino believes his side will end up better off following their 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

The Catalans remain top of La Liga after a stalemate at the Vicente Calderon, which was an evenly-matched affair throughout.

But the Argentine feels that the result will make them all the stronger during the second half of the title race.

"The draw seems fine to me. We aren't going home satisfied, but we have no complaints," he is quoted as saying by Marca.

"We played a very serious game, especially defensively. Maybe we weren't dynamic enough in attack. The team have gone from strength to strength. We have 50 points so far, this match will make us stronger."

Barca started with half-fit attackers Lionel Messi and Neymar on the bench but Martino stands by his decision not to start the South American stars.

He added: "It could have gone right or wrong. Any coach would have done the same. I make the decision on who plays. I thought it wsa best."

 

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Moyes: Januzaj up there with the best

Manchester United manager David Moyes was full of praise for Adnan Januzaj after the teenager shone in a 2-0 win over Swansea City.

The Belgium-born youngster had a hand in both goals as United ended a run of three consecutive defeats to get back on track in the Premier League.

Antonio Valencia opened the scoring just after half-time and Danny Welbeck's sixth goal in as many league games sealed the points to ease the pressure on Moyes.However, Januzaj was a constant menace with both goals coming following crosses from the 18-year-old, and his contribution impressed his manager.

Moyes told reporters: "Everybody can see what a player we have on our hands. He can play all the positions"We moved Adnan behind the striker against Sunderland in midweek and he played very well. Adnan can play in all the positions around the front."I wanted to see if he'd give us any more creativity, any more chances and help us but at half-time I made my mind up I was going to swap him with Shinji.

"He's been like that since day one. I speak to him a lot and he tells me he can play anywhere. He would have no problem."He's not a nervous boy; he needs teaching and understanding because he's still learning the game but his natural talent and ability is up there with the best and I think in time he will prove to be that."

United were not at their best in the first half, but improved after the break and Moyes felt they were worthy winners.He said: "I thought from the start of the second half we played very well and deservedly scored two goals and maybe could have scored more.

"I'd like to think it's going to improve an awful lot, but you have to start somewhere and I thought today was more like it."

 

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'It's hard to chase the ball for 45 minutes' - Gabi

Atletico Madrid captain Gabi says his side suffered after being made to chase the ball for 45 minutes against Barcelona on Saturday.

La Liga's top two clubs played out an even 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon to leave them separated by only goal difference at the summit of the table.

And Gabi says his team-mates worked very hard for their point against the champions and the Spaniard is delighted with their performance.

"We played the game the way we wanted," he told reporters. "It's hard to run after the ball for 45 minutes.

"We got what we wanted - to play against the best teams in La Liga right now. The game was as people expected and we're very happy.

"Both teams raised their game. We fight and are more defensive because they have more possession of the ball. It was a very clean game from both sides. We saw a lot of football and we're happy with it."

At the halfway point in the season, Barca and Atleti are level on points and the 30-year-old has vowed to keep fighting for the title.

He added: "We're carrying on neck-and-neck. We have done extraordinary things every game. It's very hard to do this in the second half of the season, but we'll try."

 

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Moyes given stunning €180m Manchester United transfer war chest

David Moyes' eight-month Manchester United reign has been conspicuous by its transfer inactivity.But Britain's highest revenue-generating club will back their beleaguered manager to the hilt over the next two windows.The Sweeper understands that a kitty of €180 million is available to Moyes for new players in January and over the summer.

The Glazer family, who own United, recognise there needs to be considerable investment in the squad to re-establish the club as one of Europe's most dominant.
With their global money-making machine operating in top gear, United have €100m in the bank and are generating €96m a year in free cashflow thanks to a long list of local partners.

There is a recognition in the United boardroom that long overdue reinvestment in the squad is required whatever the results achieved by the team in the second half of the season.

Club officials are said to be confident of weathering a season-long absence from Champions League, and this would not markedly effect the funds available to Moyes in the summer window.The bigger concern of failing to achieve a top-four finish would be in the difficulty of attracting the type of player that is needed to improve United's squad.

Yet, there is no doubt within the Old Trafford corridors of power that Moyes needs backing in the market to build on the sustained success of the era of Sir Alex Ferguson, who oversaw the team's dominance despite a net transfer outlay of €27m.

 

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€180m thiyagena balagena idala wadak nahaneHoda playersla tikak gamu season 1ka beraganna

 

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Sassuolo 4-3 AC Milan: History-maker Berardi leaves Rossoneri red-faced

Domenico Berardi's four-goal haul helped Serie A strugglers Sassuolo come from behind to record a stunning 4-3 win over AC Milan on Sunday.

Early strikes from Robinho and Mario Balotelli meant Milan raced into a 2-0 lead after just 12 minutes before Berardi's first-half hat-trick and fourth of the night after the restart saw him become the youngest player to score four goals in a Serie A game since the 1930s to secure a famous win for the home side in their first season in the top flight.

New signing Keisuke Honda made his Milan debut off the bench in the second half and hit the post before Riccardo Montolivo struck in the 86th minute to spark a frantic finale.

Giampaolo Pazzini came agonisingly close to equalising only to see his header rattle the crossbar with the goal at his mercy after Pegolo Gianluca superbly palmed away Balotelli's initial effort.

Sassuolo, though, hung on to climb out of the bottom three and pile the pressure on Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Milan, who are wedged in mid-table, made two changes from the side that beat Atalanta on Monday, with Daniele Bonera and Balotelli both drafted in. Honda took his place among the substitutes.

Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco made five alterations to the side that lost away at Genoa last time out in a bid to end a run of four consecutive Serie A defeats.

Milan have only one win on the road in the league all season, but quickly settled and took the lead just before the 10-minute mark.

A strong tackle by Nigel De Jong on the edge of the area allowed Robinho to race into the box and slot home with a cool finish.

It took Milan three minutes to double their lead as teenage playmaker Bryan Cristante surged down the right before picking out an unmarked Balotelli, who made no mistake from close range.

It looked like the makings of a long night for the hosts, but Milan's two-goal cushion only lasted two minutes.

Berardi beat the offside trap to get on the end of Jasmin Kurtic's threaded ball before rounding Christian Abbiati to finish from a tight angle.

Sassuolo's first goal in 536 minutes of football galvanised Di Francesco's men and they continued to press, with Berardi causing problems for the Milan defence.

And Berardi's persistence paid off again after 28 minutes. Bonera failed to deal with a ball into the box, allowing the 19-year old to get a shot away that was initially blocked by the centre-back before producing an expertly timed volley into the bottom corner beyond the grasp of Abbiati.

Simone Zaza's curling free-kick produced a stunning save from Abbiati two minutes later, but the Milan keeper was picking the ball out of his net again just before the break.

A stunning counter-attack saw Alessandro Longhi find Berardi behind the defence and the Italian thumped home for his second hat-trick of the season.

Allegri decided not to change things for the second half and his side fell further behind two minutes after the restart when Beradi beat Bonera to Kurtic's drilled cross to steer into the net.

Milan had previously not lost from a two-goal lead in 12 years, but continued to struggle, despite Balotelli and Kaka both having decent opportunities.

Honda was introduced midway through the second half and nearly produced an instant impact when his flick-on was deflected wide by Pazzini.

The Japanese playmaker looked lively and struck the woodwork late on before Montolivo pulled back what turned out to be a consolation with drilled effort on the edge of the box.

Gianluca's heroics then denied Balotelli and Pazzini struck the bar with a six-yard header after the ball fell kindly to him.