Milan In Russian's Hell

MILAN – In football, evening’s like this are called turning points. In one of the hardest places in Europe to travel to, Milan come out 3-2 winners and get back the points dropped against Anderlecht. It needed a big performance from the players who started well and took the game back in hand after some difficult moments.

Milan started with the same 4-2-3-1 that we saw against Parma but with Emanuelson and Montolivo instead of Nocerino and Ambrosini. After kick-off Bojan turned well and Malafeev was called into action for the first time. Bystrov from distance failed to really test Abbiati and it was all Milan for the first 20 minutes. Emanuelson broke the deadlock on 13 minutes earning a free kick and taking it only for the ball to deflect off Shirnov giving Malafeev no chance. Allegri’s team kept pushing forward. Two minutes later a cross from Antonini and Emanuelson hit the side netting on the far post. On 16, El Shaarawy got the ball on the left side and left two defenders in his wake as before placing the ball past the keeper. 2-0 and it could even have been 3 on 19 minutes when Bojan was brought down in the area but no penalty was given. Abbitati was then called into action a few times. Then on 33 minutes he did well to push out a shot from Hulk for a corner. A superlative save came five minutes from the end of the first half from a frightening strike from the same player on the edge of the area. Abbitati pulled off a miracle to stop him celebrating the goal. Then, in the second minute of injury time, Hulk finally got his goal with a violent left footed shot. At half time Milan were up 2-1.

The home side pushed hard early in the second half and on 4 minutes Hulk won another corner and the Rossoneri defense found itrself unprepared. Shirokov brought his side back onto level terms. Pazzini then came on for Bojan and Milan gained more presence in the final third. On 9 minutes, Abate crossed from the right for Boateng but the header was off target. Allegri then brought on Nocerino for Emanuelson beefing up the middle of the field. Zenit dropped and Milan pushed on. With 15 left, Milan went back into the lead. Montolivo crossed from the right and Hubocan deflected the ball past his keeper when trying to get there ahead of Pazzini. Then Abbiati did his job well to ensure that Milan saw out the rest of the game without conceding any further goals. It was big win for the team and it has come right in the nick of time. Now for the derby.

THE NUMBERS

ZENIT-MILAN 2-3

GOALS: Emanuelson (M) on 13', El Shaarawy (M) on 16', Hulk (Z) on 46'fh; Shirokov (Z) al 4', O.G. Hubocan (Z) al 30'sh

ZENIT (4-3-3): Malafeev; Anyukov, Hubocan, Lombaerts (44'st Bukharov), Criscito; Shirokov, Fayzulin (34'st Kanunnikov), Witsel; Bystrov (27'st Zyryanov), Kerzhakov, Hulk. Subs: Baburin, Bruno Alves, Lukovic, Lumb. All. Spalletti

MILAN (4-2-3-1): Abbiati; Abate, Bonera, Zapata, Antonini; De Jong, Montolivo; Emanuelson (19'st Nocerino), Boateng (35'st Yepes), El Shaarawy; Bojan (7'st Pazzini). Subs: Amelia, Mexes, Flamini, Robinho. All. Allegri

REFEREE: Brych (German)

NOTES: Booked: Fayzulin, Anyukov, Hubocan, Shirokov, Bonera, El Shaarawy,