Van Bommel sent off in Milan debut

Posted Sunday, January 30, 2011 by UK.eurosport.yahoo.com

Mark van Bommel was sent off on his Serie A debut but Milan still eked out a 2-0 win at Catania, going seven points clear at the top despite being down to 10 men for most of the second half.

Van Bommel, who made his Rossoneri bow in the Coppa Italia after signing from Bayern Munich in midweek, was shown two yellow cards, although the second on 53 minutes was very harsh after a faint obstruction of Pablo Ledesma.

But five minutes later Robinho smashed the ball in the roof of the net after Catania keeper Mariano Andujar failed to hold on to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s fizzing free-kick.

The final half hour was a Catania onslaught but Milan were always more dangerous on the break and, as Catania committed men forward to find an equaliser, Ibrahimovic slid in to meet Robinho’s excellent low cross as the deadly duo combined once more.

There was time for a comedy miss from Catania’s Simone Pesce as Milan earned their 14th league win of the season, moving them seven points clear of Lazio and Napoli until Sunday at least.

It was a warning signal from Milan, who showed that - even away from home - they can play averagely, go a man down and still grind out a comfortable three points.

A tepid first half started well enough, with Catania taking the game to Milan and the Rossoneri responding with swift counter-attacks.

The first minute saw Andujar save Robinho’s low drive after excellent hold-up play by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while for the hosts Ciro Capuano was denied by a Van Bommel block.

Just before the quarter-hour mark Milan defender Mario Yepes’s slight intervention denied Pablo Ledesma but, afterwards, both sides toiled with bookings aplenty as they went into a half-time break that could not come quickly enough.

Massimiliano Allegri acted at the break, bringing on new signings Urby Emanuelson for young Alexander Merkel, the 18-year-old Kazakh-born Germany youth international looking out of his depth.

One of the four first-half bookings was Van Bommel, correctly carded for a late challenge on Nicolas Spolli.

But, eight minutes into a similarly uneventful second half, he was given his marching orders after his second foul of the game, although his brush with Ledesma was little more than that, if there was contact at all, and in a fairly harmless position to boot.

It was a dreadful decision although some would say karma for his brutal performance for the Netherlands in the World Cup final.

In any sense it seemed to provoke Milan who, despite being a man short, took the lead soon afterwards when Ibrahimovic won and took a free-kick, Robinho super-quick to react when Andujar could only get one hand on the shot.

With just over half an hour left Milan tried to shut up shop, taking Antonio Cassano off for defender Massimo Oddo, while the predictable Catania barrage came into effect.

Adrian Ricchiuti poked over from fellow sub Pesce’s cross, while the latter himself spun a header just high and wide from a corner.

But they did not really work Abbiati, while on the break Milan duo Ibrahimovic and Emanuelson stung the palms of Andujar.

And as Catania replaced defenders with wingers and threw the kitchen sink at the visitors Milan killed the game off when, after an incisive passing move, Robinho played a delightful low ball that a sliding Ibra prodded past Andujar.

That was on 85 minutes and, while the match was already won, substitute Takayuki Morimoto went close with a low drive as Catania finally tested Abbiati.

Catania pressed gamely into injury time but lacked the guile to unlock the Rossoneri defence, an incredible miss by Pesce summing up Catania’s night as he smacked the ball over an open goal from a yard out.

It was rather aptly the last kick off the game as Milan sent out a title warning to their rivals.