AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted on Sunday his club’s eight-point penalty for match-fixing makes them rank outsiders for the Serie A title.
Milan beat fellow offenders Lazio 2-1 in their first match of the new season to reduce their deficit to minus five points, but they failed to make any ground on title rivals Inter Milan and Roma, who both recorded wins on Saturday.
”Starting on minus eight points weighs heavily on the shoulders,” Ancelotti said after a hard-fought victory at the San Siro.
”Our first thought has to be to recover those points, but that won’t be easy. But we want to get them back at all costs.”
Filippo Inzaghi put Milan ahead with a clinical finish before summer signing Ricardo Oliveira headed their second goal.
Lazio’s Nigerian striker Stephen Makinwa tapped in an easy chance to reopen the contest, but Milan clung on to the three points which chipped away at their handicap.
Rolando Bianchi scored a hat-trick for Reggina — docked 15-points for their match-fixing involvement — but still ended up on the losing side in a 4-3 defeat at Palermo, who were 3-0 up after 27 minutes.
Newly-promoted Catania, whose last appearance in the top flight was in the 1983/84 season, won 1-0 at Cagliari, while Atalanta defeated Ascoli 3-1.
Empoli and Siena both fought back from a goal down to register 2-1 away wins at Sampdoria and Chievo respectively and Messina edged Udinese 1-0.
In Sunday’s late match, a late equaliser from Roberto Stellone earned newly-promoted Torino a 1-1 draw at home to Parma.
Lazio, who were hit with an 11-point penalty for their part in the match-fixing scandal, fell behind to Milan against the run of play in the 27th minute.
Brazilian midfielder Kaka fed Inzaghi whose low, angled shot beat Angelo Peruzzi.
Brazilian striker Oliveira, signed from Spanish club Real Betis, rose unmarked to head in Andrea Pirlo’s corner in the 70th minute and Milan looked home and dry.
But Lazio hit back three minutes later when Tommaso Rocchi, who looked to be in an offside position when he received the ball on the right, crossed for Makinwa to slot home.
Champions Inter Milan and Roma both enjoyed winning starts on Saturday.
Inter, awarded last season’s championship after Juventus and Milan were handed their match-fixing punishments, survived a rousing second-half fightback to beat Fiorentina 3-2 and Roma defeated Livorno 2-0.
Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso scored twice and Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic grabbed the other goal as Inter stormed into what appeared to be a very comfortable lead in Florence.
But two headed goals from Fiorentina striker Luca Toni, last season’s top scorer in Italy’s top division with 31 goals, set up a gripping finish.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini was unhappy with the way his team sat back after establishing control of the match.
”We thought that the game was won and you can never afford to do that,” he said.
Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli, whose team are already reeling from having to start on minus 19 points for their match-fixing crimes, said his players could ill afford to feel sorry for themselves.
”We mustn’t look at the table,” he stressed. ”We can’t afford to cry about our situation.”
In Rome, Daniele De Rossi and Brazilian winger Mancini were on target for Roma, while their captain Francesco Totti missed a penalty.
Last season’s champions Juventus were relegated to the second division having been the main offenders in the match-fixing furore. – Sapa-AFP