Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores a brace to lift Milan to an easy victory over Novara that keeps the Italian champions on Juventus' trail
Italian champions AC Milan thrashed Novara 3-0 thanks to two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and another from Robinho at the Stadio Silvio Piola on Sunday.
With the result, the Rossoneri closed the first round of the 2011-12 Italian championship in second place with 40 points, one point behind league leaders Juventus, with 41 points. While, Novara remain rock-bottom, with a mere 12 points.
Milan, who knocked Novara out of the Coppa Italia midweek, took the game to the hosts immediately from the kick-off as they looked to make amends for their painful derby defeat to city rivals Inter Milan in the Serie A last weekend.
Massimiliano Allegri's side piled heavy pressure on the Novara goal, with Robinho coming inches close to putting them ahead when he fired just wide following a Ibrahimovic free-kick.
The Rossoneri continued to look dangerous in an attacking sense, throwing everything that they had at the vulnerable Biancoazzurri goal, but Novara goalkeeper Samir Ujkani kept them out with a number of sensational saves.
It finally appeared that Thiago Silva had given Milan the lead when his header seemed to have beaten a hapless Ujkani, but to his disbelief Andrea Caracciolo cleared the ball off the line and away to safety.
The flow of the match remained the same after the restart, as the visitors continued to prove too hot to handle for the Serie A wooden spooners.
But from the run of play, Novara almost took a surprise lead, when Marco Rigoni slid a superb through ball into the path of the onrushing Caracciolo but the striker fired the ball agonisingly wide.
When it seemed that Novara would begin to lift their game, Milan went ahead, when in the 57th minute Ibrahimovic received a perfect through ball from experienced midfielder Massimo Ambrosini before blasting the ball home from close-range.
In the 74th minute Milan went two-up when speedy substitute Stephan El Shaarawy fired a shot across goal, only for Robinho to meet it with the coolest of finishes.
Ibrahimovic added his second goal and Milan's third of the match in the 90th minute, to round off a perfect display for the Italian champions.
With the result, the Rossoneri closed the first round of the 2011-12 Italian championship in second place with 40 points, one point behind league leaders Juventus, with 41 points. While, Novara remain rock-bottom, with a mere 12 points.
Milan, who knocked Novara out of the Coppa Italia midweek, took the game to the hosts immediately from the kick-off as they looked to make amends for their painful derby defeat to city rivals Inter Milan in the Serie A last weekend.
Massimiliano Allegri's side piled heavy pressure on the Novara goal, with Robinho coming inches close to putting them ahead when he fired just wide following a Ibrahimovic free-kick.
The Rossoneri continued to look dangerous in an attacking sense, throwing everything that they had at the vulnerable Biancoazzurri goal, but Novara goalkeeper Samir Ujkani kept them out with a number of sensational saves.
It finally appeared that Thiago Silva had given Milan the lead when his header seemed to have beaten a hapless Ujkani, but to his disbelief Andrea Caracciolo cleared the ball off the line and away to safety.
The flow of the match remained the same after the restart, as the visitors continued to prove too hot to handle for the Serie A wooden spooners.
But from the run of play, Novara almost took a surprise lead, when Marco Rigoni slid a superb through ball into the path of the onrushing Caracciolo but the striker fired the ball agonisingly wide.
When it seemed that Novara would begin to lift their game, Milan went ahead, when in the 57th minute Ibrahimovic received a perfect through ball from experienced midfielder Massimo Ambrosini before blasting the ball home from close-range.
In the 74th minute Milan went two-up when speedy substitute Stephan El Shaarawy fired a shot across goal, only for Robinho to meet it with the coolest of finishes.
Ibrahimovic added his second goal and Milan's third of the match in the 90th minute, to round off a perfect display for the Italian champions.
