UEFA Cup: Portsmouth 2:2 AC Milan - match report
28.11 ||

Source: Football Italia

Scorers: Kaboul 62 (P), Kanu 73 (P), Ronaldinho 84 (M), Inzaghi 92 (M)

Pippo Inzaghi equalised for Milan with the last kick of the game to secure a thrilling 2-2 draw with Portsmouth and book a place in the third round.

While Milan had two wins from their first two games, Portsmouth were determined to bounce back from a 3-0 thrashing against Braga.

Carlo Ancelotti gave Kaka a run with a Serie A suspension looming, while Andriy Shevchenko and Pippo Inzaghi led the line.

Portsmouth were spurred on by a capacity crowd on a cold and wet night in Hampshire.

The English side made a frenetic start to the game but neither side were able to put together any cohesive movement.

Richard Huges, who started his career at Atalanta and is a Milan fan, was booked for a very late and reckless challenge on Mathieu Flamini.

Flamini won another free-kick from Papa Bouba Diop and Milan so nearly went ahead. Shevchenko's 30-yard free-kick bounced off the wall and fell to Inzaghi, but his scuffed shot hit the post and went into David James' arms.

Nwankwo Kanu's magnificent crossfield ball found Peter Crouch, but the gangly marksman fluffed his shot, much to manager Tony Adams' frustration.

Shevchenko chested the ball down in the Pompey box, but he lashed his shot wide of the target.

The Rossoneri back line looked vulnerable from a searching cross, but Crouch headed against Philippe Senderos' back.

Gennaro Gattuso's pass found Inzaghi, who delicately chipped James but his strike clipped the bar and landed on the roof of the net.

Kaka didn't seem to be himself and he volleyed the ball into Row Z, to the delight of the home supporters.

Glen Johnson's searching ball evaded Dida, but the 'keeper managed to catch Crouch's header back from the by-line when the England international may have been better off going for goal.

Despite the enthusiasm of the fans, there was very little to report in the way of goalmouth action in the opening period.

Johnson broke down the right and put over a cross but Crouch headed high over the bar at the near post. Soon after, Johnson swang another bal over but Crouch's ambitious overhead kick was sliced.

Milan started the second half the stronger and James was called upon to push away a Kaka shot. Sheva also had a shy to no avail.

Kanu crossed for Crouch, but the ball fell to Glen Little who hit the side-netting - some Portsmouth fans thought it was in.

Portsmouth failed to clear a corner and Kaka picked up the ball. James fumbled the Brazilian's deflected cross as he ran into Papa Bouba Diop but the hosts cleared the ball.

But Portsmouth went ahead when Kanu played the ball to Johnson to cross for Younes Kaboul to push aside Senderos and head past Dida and send the crowd wild.

The home supporters called for a penalty when Gianluca Zambrotta tackled Kanu on the edge of the box, but nothing was given.

Portsmouth made it 2-0 as Johnson skipped past two challenges to feed Kanu, who made no mistake from close range.

Ancelotti rolled the dice with just over a quarter of an hour to play and threw on Alexandre Pato and Ronaldinho for Kaka and Shevchenko.

Inzaghi' clipped the post for a third time with a diving header as Milan poured forward to try and save the game.

Johnson brought down Ronaldinho on the very edge of the area with seven minutes left and Dinho produced a textbook free-kick to reduce the deficit.

Luca Antonini saw his shot from 25 yards deflected for a corner as Milan laid siege to the Pompey goal.

And Milan completed a Great Escape when Inzaghi's luck in front of goal finally changed in the 92nd minute!

Super Pippo ran on to a lofted Zambrotta through ball, controlled perfectly and beat James for 2-2 at the death to send Milan through to the next round!

Portsmouth: James; Johnson, Kaboul, Distin, Belhadj; Little Bouba Diop, Traore, Hughes; Crouch, Kanu (Davis 81)

Milan: Dida; Zambrotta, Senderos, Favalli, Antonini; Flamini, Emerson, Gattuso (Seedorf 66), Kaka (Pato 74); Shevchenko (Ronaldinho 74), Inzaghi

Ref: Gumienny (Bel)