Dubai: Carlo Ancelotti lost his first game in charge of Paris Saint Germain (PSG) 1-0, handing his old club AC Milan a third consecutive victory in the Dubai Football Challenge at Al Ahli's Rashid Stadium last night.
It was the first time Anc-elotti had faced his past employer since leaving Milan for Chelsea in 2009 and a long awaited reunion of sorts for the French and Italian league giants, who have only met four times in history — twice in the 1995 Champions League when Milan chalked two wins, and twice again in 2001 ending in double draws.
Coming out the stronger side AC Milan looked a team convinced of a third triumph over PSG and thus their third exhibition title held here in Dubai, in front of 10,650 spectators, since 2007. It has been twice previously won by the Rossoneri against Hamburg and Al Ahli in the past two years.
PSG's €52 million (Dh252.5 million) target Alexandre Pato opened the scoring for Milan on four minutes after a tackle by Mamadou Sakho put the ball wide to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who tee up Pato and he tricked it over the line with ease. Nene and Pastore both looked to restore the balance within the first ten minutes to no avail.
Then an overhead kick by Antonio Nocerino rattled the crossbar for Milan on 17 minutes off a Mattia De Sciglio cross before PSG had a goal disallowed on 24 minutes after Guillaume Hoarau was adjudged to have pushed goalkeeper Marco Amelia into the net.
Total change
Milan made 11 substitutions at half time fielding Abbiati, Gattuso, Inzaghi, Nesta, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Bonero, Valoti, El Shaarawy, Emmanuelson and Antonini.
Meanwhile, PSG brought on keeper Douchez for Sirigu, two central defenders Lugano and Camara on for Sakho and Bisevic, while Erding replaced Hoarau up front.
Inzaghi and El Shaaraway both had a chance to test PSG's replacement keeper before the hour prompting another defensive change for PSG on 67 minutes fielding Bahebeck for Ceara.
Abbiati got down well to save Jallet's strike from the right on 69 minutes as the French side upped their tempo. A flurry of Nene strikes all on 76 minutes then prompted a double save from Abbiati, a disallowed goal for entering direct from a corner, while a fourth hit the cross bar.
Teams
AC Milan: Marco Amelia, Taye Taiwo, Mark van Bommel, Philippe Mexes, Alexandre Pato, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alberto Aquilani, Antonio Nocerino, Thiago Silva, Mattia De Sciglio, Robinho. Subs: Christian Abbiati, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta, Massimo Ambrosini, Daniele Bonera, Urby Emanuelson, Rodrigo Ely, Adria Carmona Perez, Mattia Valoti, Luca Antonini and Stephan El Shaarawy
Paris St Germain: Salvatore Sirigu, Marcos Ceara, Mamadou Sakho, Milan Bisevic, Siaka Tiene, Guillame Hoarau, Nene, Mathieu Bodmer, Mohammad Sissoko, Christophe Jallet, Javier Pastore. Subs: Nicolas Douchez, Alphonse Areola, Zoumana Camara, Mevlut Erding, Diego Lugano, Sylvain Armand, Jean Christophe Bahebeck, Loick Landre and Neeskens Kebano.
