Determined AC Milan derail Juventus

AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia reacts at the end of the match against Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, on Sunday.

AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia reacts at the end of the match against Juventus at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, on Sunday.

Published Nov 26, 2012

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London - AC Milan beat Serie A table-toppers Juventus 1-0 on Sunday thanks to a controversial penalty by Robhino after Mauricio Isla was adjudged to have handled the ball.

An unconventional-looking front three of Robinho, Stephan El Shaarawy and Kevin Prince Boateng, pushed up from midfield, combined well to inspire's Milan's win.

Juventus found it difficult to deal with Milan's pressing play and went behind just before the half hour mark when the ball appeared to strike Isla's outstretched arm from Antonio Nocerino's header, although replays suggested it hit the Chilean's body.

Robinho stepped up to score, despite keeper Gianluigi Buffon getting both hands to the ball.

The visitors were slow to react, with too many misplaced passes and errors allowing Milan to control the game.

Juve began to turn up the pressure later in the second half, with substitute Sebastian Giovinco, on for Fabio Quagliarella, going close with an overhead kick from Simone Padoin's cross in the 62nd minute, but their lack of physical presence up front made life easier for the Milan back four.

The Italian champions attacked in numbers as the game entered its final stages, but Milan were increasingly happy to defend deep and try to catch Juve on the break.

It was a risky strategy and the home side lived dangerously at times, but worked hard to take all three points, putting a dent in Juve's title challenge and providing a possible platform for Milan to build on in the run up to the winter break.

Inter Milan now have the chance to close the gap on Juventus to just one point if they can win their game at Parma on Monday.

Earlier, Mounir El Hamdaoui came off the bench to score a late equaliser for Fiorentina at Torino, with a 2-2 draw enough to lift the Tuscans up to joint-second in the table.

The hosts took the lead five minutes from the break after Alessio Cerci got himself on the end of a low Danilo D'Ambrosio cross, with Riccardo Meggiorini's dummy fooling the Fiorentina defence.

Fiorentina came alive in the second half, but with talisman Stevan Jovetic still out injured and Luca Toni in the treatment room following a nasty collision with defender Kamil Glik, Torino were able to weather the storm.

The visitors drew level from the penalty spot in the 75th minute after D'Ambrosio upended Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, with Gonzalo Rodriguez converting.

However, just a minute later Torino were back in front, Valter Birsa's cross shot tricking everyone and ending up in the net.

Former Ajax striker El Hamdaoui equalised with pretty much his first touch of the game, turning and shooting in one movement, hitting an angled shot past Jean-Francois Gillet.

“It was a good game, very open. Both teams gave it a go and deserved to win. On balance it was the right result,” Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella told RAI television.

“I was a little happier in the second half than the first. We reacted with a maturity, with personality and quality.” Asked about the injured Toni, Montella replied: “He's still under observation, but I don't think there will be any problems.”

Elsewhere, Mattia Destro scored only his second goal for AS Roma since arriving from Genoa during the close season, helping the Giallorossi to a 1-0 victory at Pescara, a win that takes the capital club up to joint-fifth in the table.

The big shock of the day was Genoa's 1-0 win at Atalanta thanks to Andrea Bertolacci's first-half goal for the lowly visitors. Fellow strugglers Siena drew 0-0 at Chievo.

Sampdoria continued their revival following victory in the Genoa derby last weekend with a useful 1-0 win at home to Bologna, Andrea Poli netting the winner.

Cagliari host Napoli in the other Monday game, with Lazio at home to Udinese on Tuesday. - Reuters

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