Ronaldo
MILAN, Italy - AC Milan was held to 1-1 by Livorno in a rescheduled Serie A match and the Rossoneri lost Ronaldo to a knee injury again on Wednesday.
Midfielder Nico Pulzetti celebrated his 24th birthday by putting Livorno ahead in the 50th minute and Andrea Pirlo equalized with a penalty for Milan in the 61st.
With 37 points, Milan moved within one point of fourth-place Fiorentina and Italy’s final European Champions League berth for next season. Livorno moved into a tie for 14th place with Lazio, with 23 points each.
"We did a lot of good things in the first half, but we also spent a lot of energy, which cost us when they went ahead in the second half," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "But a draw was OK tonight. We’re not in great shape with all these games and we’ve got a lot of injuries."
Starting with the youngest attack in Serie A, 18-year-old Alberto Paloschi and 25-year-old Alberto Gilardino, Milan dominated the first half but had several shots parried by Livorno goalkeeper Marco Amelia, Gianluigi Buffon’s backup for Italy.
Pulzetti changed the tone of the match with a long, angled shot following a weak clearing attempt by Khaka Kaladze with a header.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti replaced Paloschi and Gilardino with Filippo Inzaghi and Ronaldo in the 56th and Milan was awarded a penalty two minutes later.
Livorno’s Jose Luis Vidigal used his arms to block a cross into the area from Massimo Oddo, earning the penalty that Pirlo calmly converted.
Ronaldo was injured on the play that drew the penalty and was carried off the field crying and clutching his left knee.
Milan issued a statetment saying the three-time FIFA player of the year ruptured a tendon, but did not know the full extent of the injury.
Livorno’s top forward, Francesco Tavano, exited with an apparent thigh problem in the 45th.
Milan was without injured forwards Kaka and Alexandre Pato, while midfielder Gennaro Gattuso returned from a two-week injury layoff.
The match was originally scheduled for Dec. 16, when Milan was in Japan for the Club World Cup, which it won.
Source: ITA: Ronaldo hurt in AC Milan draw
