AC Milan claim Serie A title

Roma fail to capitalise on chances as match results in a draw.

ROME:

AC Milan claimed an 18th Serie A title following a 0-0 draw at Roma that gave them an unassailable lead at the top of the table. The draw pushed their lead over Inter Milan to nine points but with a better head-to-head record, the rosssoneri cannot be overtaken now.

Milan produced a neat passing move on 10 minutes with Clarence Seedorf setting up Kevin-Prince Boateng, who fired high and wide. The chance of the half came on 14 minutes when Marco Cassetti skipped past Gianluca Zambrotta and dinked the ball to the back post where Ignazio Abate mistimed his jump and Mirko Vucinic took it down on his chest for Christian Abbiati to smother his volley.

Roma had the better of the chances as Aleandro Rosi crossed for Vucinic who had not committed himself, allowing Alessandro Nesta to whisk the ball clear. Rosi then hit a low shot that Abbiati got down to at his near post. Robinho was quick to curl a shot against the post after Abate had driven at a hesitant Roma defence.

Journey to the title win

They came the closest to scoring and gave Roma very little to work with. The damage had been done in the last two months when 3-0 victories over Inter and Napoli kept the competition at bay. For Roma the point did little to help their chances of securing a top four finish.

Allegri overjoyed with win

Coach Massmiliano Allegri was delighted at having landed the title in his first season with AC Milan and even claimed that club president and Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had promised him new signings. “I want to thank the players first of all and then the president who gave me such a great squad,” said Allegri. “It’s very satisfying to win in my first year. In the future we need to improve a team that is already strong. But the president has said that he’ll give us a present and we’re all happy.” AFP

AC Milan coach Massmiliano Allegri

“It’s very satisfying to win in my first year. In the future we need to improve a team that is already strong. But the president has said that he will give us a present and we’re all happy.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2011.