By DPA,
Milan : Italian giants AC Milan have ended their bad run in the Serie A football with a 4-1 win over visiting Lazio.
Clarence Seedorf, Gianluca Zambrotta, Brazilian Pato and his compatriot Kaka were on target to delight the home crowd at the Giuseppe Meazza and clinch the first three points for the Devils after two consecutive defeats.
“These days (of strong criticism), we told ourselves that we are not just single players but a good, strong team,” Kaka said. “Now the team has a long way to go, but we can see some improvement. Tonight we did very well, and we want to keep it up.”
Earlier Sunday, champions Inter Milan and Juventus took the lead with away wins 3-1 at Torino and 1-0 at Cagliari, respectively, for a seven-point tally after three games.
Lazio lost their chance to go alone, or draw level, at the top and remained in second position on six points next to Atalanta, Catania and Palermo.
In the weekend’s last game, a classy attempt from Pato went begging on six minutes as the young striker tried to deflect with his heel a low feed from Kaka.
The Devils’ opening goal was postponed only by a minute, with Dutch veteran Seedorf finding himself free to slam home off a perfect but involuntary assist from Lazio’s Argentinian midfielder Cristian Ledesma.
A dangerous break from Goran Pandev in the 12th minute was Lazio’s first chance, followed by another in the 18th by a Stefano Mauri drive that found Christian Abbiati ready to save.
Eight minutes later, a flawless counter-attack was fateful for the goalkeeper as young Argentinean Mauro Zarate connected with a deep feed from Pandev and fired a low shot by the closest post.
Pato and Kaka produced two devastating breaks that were saved and flew wide, respectively, before international defender Gianluca Zambrotta in the 35th minute stunned Juan Carrizo with a fast shot from 30 metres off.
The Argentinean goalkeeper was beaten for a third time in the 49th minute, barely touching with his fingertips Pato’s header off a Marek Jankulovski taut cross.
Carrizo managed to save a precise drive from Kaka but not the Brazilian’s great shot that on the hour flew under the bar from the distance.
Lazio’s last chance was squandered when Macedonia’s Pandev fired from close range into Abbiati’s arms, while in the 90th minute a drive from Ronaldinho, who came on for Pato, was deflected against the bar by a defender.