Kalac – 5.5: A few nervy moments, and one of these almost allowed Vigiani to equalize when the score was 2-1. Was completely blameless on Barreto’s goal.
Cafu - 7: One of Cafu’s best games in a Milan shirt this season. Bombed up-and-down the right flank all afternoon.
Nesta – 6.5: Nullified the threat of Reggina’s lone frontman Amoruso, even if he made one mistake at 2-1 that could have resulted in a leveller for Cozza.
Kaladze – 6: A sound game from the Georgian, even if he did have the odd lapse of concentration. Almost scored down the other end in the first half.
Favalli – 6.5: It is so easy to be critical of Favalli, but today he offered a steady, if not spectacular, performance.
Gattuso – 7: Still failing to convince me that he will ever return to his old levels. But having said this he definitely won the midfield battle today.
Pirlo - 8: A welcome return to form. Some of his through-passes were simply out of this world. A... Read more »
Kaka proved he is fully recovered with a magnificent performance and hat-trick in this drubbing of Reggina.
There was no room for error as the Rossoneri needed a win to avoid falling seven points behind Fiorentina. Last week's 3-2 defeat at Juventus was a blow, but even worse was their dismal home form, winning just five times at San Siro. Reggina were on a high after beating Sampdoria 1-0, though they remained in the bottom three and had scored just once in their previous six away games. Curiously, this fixture hadn't ended in a draw for nine editions, since the 2-2 in December 1999.
Alexandre Pato returned from a mysterious muscular injury to sit on the bench, though Daniele Bonera and Massimo Ambrosini were banne... Read more »
Juventus will be without Pavel Nedved for the visit of Milan and the Rossoneri are lacking Alessandro Nesta after his disciplinary appeal failed.
Nedved had hoped to feature and had returned to training after being hospitalised by a clash of heads with Roberto Guana during the Bianconeri’s defeat at Palermo last weekend.
However, it seems that the Czech international hasn’t fully recovered from the knock to the head and Coach Claudio Ranieri hasn’t named him in his squad.
“He is better, but he still isn’t heading the ball,” Ranieri explained. “With three games ahead, I decided that it would be better to err on the side of caution.”
Milan stopper Nesta will also have a watching brief after his two-game ban for a red card against Atalanta on March 30 was confirmed.
The former Azzurri star had hoped his appeal would nullify the suspension, but a message on the Diavolo’s official website states that he will miss the crunch match against Juventus.
MILANELLO - Here are the called up Milan players for the match against Cagliari: Dida, Kalac, Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Kaladze, Maldini, Simic, Ambrosini, Brocchi, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Kakà, Pirlo, Seedorf, Inzaghi, Pato, Paloschi. Not called up: Digao, Aubameyang. Unavailable: Jankulovski, Oddo, Serginho, Emerson, Gilardino, Ronaldo. Suspended: Nesta.
Alessandro Nesta has been handed a two-match ban, so he’ll miss Milan’s crunch games with Cagliari and Juventus.
The defender was sent off for dissent in the final minutes of Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Atalanta.
The Disciplinary Commission received the report from the referee and has judged his comments worthy of a two-match ban.
As the Rossoneri are already without the injured Marcos Cafu, Marek Jankulovski and Serginho, this leaves Carlo Ancelotti with limited options at the back.
Cagliari Coach Davide Ballardini will also be in the stands for the Milan tie due to a touchline ban.
The players suspended for one match are Manuele Blasi (Napoli), Paul Codrea (Siena), Mario Frick (Siena), Ousmane Dabo (Lazio), Vincenzo Grella (Torino), Giuseppe Mascara (Catania) and David Pizarro (Roma ).
Andrea Pirlo's last-gasp penalty was saved as another disastrous Milan home performance further dampened their Champions League hopes.
The Rossoneri lost to local rivals Atalanta in January's rescheduled game and were desperate to avoid a similar outcome with the Champions League spots four points away going into this weekend. Kaka, Ronaldo, Pippo Inzaghi, Marcos Cafu, Emerson, Marek Jankulovski and Serginho were in a packed treatment room, while Moris Carrozzieri and Coach Gigi Del Neri sat out bans for the visitors. Atalanta's last Serie A victory here was a 1-0 result on March 17, 1991.
Gennaro Gattuso scored against Atalanta in January and almost did it again after eight minutes, but he blasted a poor clearance over the bar from the D.... Read more »
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Alessandro Nesta has been handed a two-match ban, so he’ll miss Milan’s crunch games with Cagliari and Juventus. 
