retired_rblake

29/11/06 - Coppa Italia 1st Round, 1st Leg
Ternana (H)
Team: Dida; Maldini, Costacurta, Nesta, Simic; Depetris, Aimar, Vogel, Ambrosini, Adu; Gilardino.

Nesta returned from injury to start the home leg with newly promoted Serie A strugglers Ternana, Costacurta made his first appearance of the season, all five midfielders were making their first starts of the season.

8 minutes in and after some untidy play by both teams, Simic restored some order with a pass to a teammates' foot. Gilardino span his marker and ran at goal and just when everyone expected the Italian international to shoot he squared it to Pablo Aimar for a tap-in. Midway through the half and the lead was doubled, this time Ambrosini found Aimar, who from 20 yards out slipped it to Gilardino in the area, who again span his marker and placed it passed Federico Agliardi in the Ternana goal.

Nesta was withdrawn with 15 minutes left as youngster Alessandro Lamburghi made his first AC Milan appearance and Francesco Ferdinando Vito likewise after spending last season on loan at AC Lugano. Cafu also made his first appearance of the season, returning from damaged Cruciate Liaments, which had sidelined him since March 2006.
AC Milan 2-0 Ternana

retired_rblake

05/12/06 - UEFA Champions League, Group A
Fenerbahce (H)
Team: Facchini; Maldini, Costacurta, Nesta, Simic; Depetris, Adu, Aimar, Vogel, Robinho; Gilardino.

Having already qualified for the second phase along with Spanish side Villarreal and Fenerbahce three points behind Porto but with a goal difference of minus nine to Porto's zero, both were dead games.

Nesta again started after missing the previous 6 games due to a Groin strain ang a strained Wrist. Youngsters Depetris and Adu again started whilst Ambrosini was unfit from the Ternana game, so Adu moved inside and Robinho continued his development as a right-winger and there was a first AC Milan game for 19-year-old Davide Facchini in goal as Dida strained his Wrist in training and is out for a week whilst Abbiati is recovering from a broken Finger.

Freddy Adu sustained a dead leg inside 10 minutes, which meant Cafu could continue his rehabiliation with Robinho moving inside. Chances came for Gilardino, eight in all but Volkan kept AC at bay, whilst ex-Juventus midfiedler Stephan Appiah was voted MOM.
AC Milan 0-0 Fenerbahce

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1st | Q | Milan | | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 13 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2nd | Q | Villarreal | | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 11 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 3rd | | Porto | | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4th | | Fenerbahçe | | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 13 | -9 | 2 |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

retired_rblake

08/12/06 - Coppa Italia 1st Round, 2nd Leg
Ternana (A)
Team: Abbiati; Maldini, Costacurta, Lamburghi, Simic; Depetris, Aimar, Vito, Vogel, Adu; Inzaghi.

Abbiati returned in goal after his finger injury, Lamburghi and Vito made first starts in an AC Milan first team shirt and Inzaghi got a rare start up front.

Ternana opened the scoring, simple ball over the top by Martin Latka, Mario Pacilli got in behind and squared it for Feliz Alexander Borja to tap-in. 2-1 on aggregate. Two minutes later and Freddy Adu scored his first goal of the season. Danny Shittu intercepted but it fell to Adu to slide passed Federico Agliardi. Simone Ingrimbelli and Nicola Pozzi made sub appearances.
Ternana 1-1 AC Milan (1-3 on agg.)

Sampdoria next up in the Quarter Finals, first leg away.

retired_rblake

11/12/06 - Serie A
Messna (A)
Team: Abbiati; Maldini, Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Seedorf, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Robinho; Shevchenko.

Back to league action and Kaladze remains the only player on the treatment table, expected to be out until mid-January. Ledley King started his development as a right-bck and Robinho continued his in front as a right-winger.

All the action took place in the final 20 minutes, firstly Carmine Coppola was sent off for a professional foul on Andriy Shevchenko. Within a minute, Seedorf flicked on a cross and Shevchenko reacted quickest to the loose ball to put passed Marco Storari in the Messina goal. Then in stoppage time, Gilardino was upeneded by Rahman Rezaei and he was subsequently dismissed also for a professional foul. Andrea Pirlo converted the resulting penalty kick.
Messina 0-2 AC Milan

retired_rblake

15/12/06
UEFA Champions League 1st Knockout Round Draw:

First name out of the hat is Lyon of France and the second is AC Milan. Potentially could have a final eight of:
Juventus
Barcelona
Arsenal
Man Utd
FC Bayern (Munich)
Real Madrid
Chelsea
and hopefully AC Milan.

retired_rblake

16/12/06
An agreement has been struck with Portsmouth for the sale of Amoroso for £1.5m. The Brazilian striker has not featured this season at all and at 32 does not have age on his side. The transfer will go through 1st January 2007.

retired_rblake

17/12/06 - Serie A
Cesena (H)
Team: Abbiati; Malidni, Gonzalo, Nesta, King; Seedorf, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Robinho; Shevchenko.

Early pressure and plenty of shots rained down on Brazilian Marcelo Grohe's goal. A string of fine saves kept AC Milan at bay. That was until the 29th minute when Devis Nossa tripped Shevchenko who dusted himself off and converted the penalty. 6 minutes later and Shevchenko scored again, spinning expertly in the box before Marcelo Grohe produced another fine save but was helpless on the rebound. It was three on the stroke of half-time when Kaka was tripped by Maurizio Ciaramitaro and Pirlo converted the second penalty of the afternoon. 3-0 at HT. The second half proved largely uneventful with Gattuso proving why he hasn't scored in 22 appearances this season missing a simple chance at the near post. MOM Abbiati had to be sharp when denying Cesena a late consolation goal when diving at the feet of substitute Papa Walgo.
Substitute Inzaghi bruised his ribs and is expected to be out for two weeks.
AC Milan 3-0 Cesena

retired_rblake

18/12/06
Cafu's season didn't improve when he suffered a calf strain in training and will be out for a month.

retired_rblake

20/12/06 - Serie A
Empoli (A)
Team: Abbiati; Jankulovski, King, Nesta, Simic; Seedorf, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Robinho; Shevchenko.

With the games coming thick and fast, the away trip to Empoli brought about a few changes ahead of the visit of Palermo. Jankulovski came in at left-back and Simic at right-back with Maldini and Gonzalo carrying a knock and in need of a rest respectively. Adu and Depetris made the bench.

Shevchenko almost gave AC Milan the lead after 30 seconds with a powerful header turned over and from the resulting corner Robinho headed over. Robinho powered another header goalwards that hit the back of the net but the assistant referee disallowed it for offside but on second viewing he wasn't offside, Shevchenko was but was not involved or interferring with play. A couple of minutes later Shevchenko tucked away yet another penalty after 21 minutes when Moro pulled King's shirt.

Midway through the second half another powerful Robinho header was smartly saved by Alessandro Danti at his near post. As Empoli threw men forward in search of an equaliser, Seedorf put MOM Shevchenko through who was obstrcuted by Simone Iacoponi in the area and he stepped up again to convert the penalty for 2-0. With fifteen minutes left Seedorf almost took the net off the goal with a superb half-volley after Simic's right-wing cross.
Empoli 0-3 AC Milan

retired_rblake

23/12/06 - Serie A
Palermo (H)
Team: Abbiati; Jankulovski, King, Nesta, Simic; Seedorf, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Robiho; Shevchenko.

After the mauling of Empoli, I decided to reward those players that played so well, which meant Maldini and Gonzalo found themselves on the bench for the visitor of Palermo.

Palermo limited AC Milan to long range efforts in the first half and their only effort came inside the first minute.

Palermo changed from an orthodox 442 to the unorthodox 33211, which allowed AC Milan to create many more chances but Mattwo Guardalben stood firm as they struggled to get anyone in support of Stephen Makinwa. With ten minutes left Alessandro Nesta missed an easy chance twelve yards out and unmarked after Pirlo have slipped him in from a free-kick. In the end AC had to settle for a point with Matteo Guardalben picking up MOM.
AC Milan 0-0 Palermo