SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Soccer
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SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Soccer
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Milan beat Zurich 3-1 to give Ancelotti respite
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-19 16:02 MILAN - AC Milan moved towards the group stage of the UEFA Cup and took some heat off coach Carlo Ancelotti on Thursday with a 3-1 win over FC Zurich in the home leg of their first-round tie. Czech defender Marek Jankulovski gave the seven-times European champions the lead on the stroke of halftime with a deflected shot after Andriy Shevchenko had blasted into the legs of Zurich keeper Johnny Leoni from close range. Brazilian teenager Alexandre Pato doubled the advantage with a rocket free kick in the 57th and his substitute Marco Borriello made it 3-0 with a strike from outside the area in the 74th. Midfielder Dusan Djuric pulled one back for the Swiss visitors with a splendid right-footed shot from a distance four minutes later. Zurich also had a headed goal by Florian Stahel disallowed in the first half. The win gives some respite to Ancelotti, who is under fire after Milan lost their first two games in Serie A and missed out on the Champions League with a disappointing fifth-place finish last season. "I think the team showed the right spirit," Ancelotti told La7 television. "We recovered the ball more quickly and we were in their half more. "(Now) we have other tests to pass and we need to improve. We have to find our game because at the moment we are struggling to show it on the field." The return leg in Zurich is on Oct 2. |
