Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole for live coverage of the Serie A, as AC Milan travel to Sicily to face Catania.
The Rossoneri, who trail tonight's opponents by one point, are in eighth place, but victory would see them into seventh.
Massimiliano Allegri's men caused somewhat of an upset last week when they beat reigning champions Juventus at the San Siro.
Catania also come into the game on the back of a 2-1 win over Chievo.
You can follow all the action as it unfolds with us below. Please note that kickoff is 7.45pm
Good evening! Welcome to Sports Mole for some continental football. Or 'calcio', as one might say in Italy...
Tonight we will be covering Catania vs. AC Milan at the Stadio Angelo Massimino. Both teams come into the game on the back of victories and are closely knit in terms of league position. The Rossoneri currently trail Catania by one point, but a win would lift them into seventh.
First port of call, tonight's teams...
Andujar; Alvarez, Legrottaglie, Rolin, Marchese; Salifu, Castro, Lodi, Almiron, Barrientos; Bergessio
Amelia; De Sciglio, Mexes, Acerbi, Constant; De Jong, Montolivo, Nocerino; Boateng; Robinho, El Shaarawy
Massimiliano Allegri makes one change to the side that defeated Juventus last weekend, as Francesco Acerbi comes in for Mario Yepes. Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho and Stephan El Shaarawy form an attacking trident, supported from midfield by Riccardo Montolivo and Antonio Nocerino.
The players are making their way onto the pitch. Not long now until kickoff...
There's sure to be a lot of focus on Stephan El Shaarawy tonight. The talented 20-year-old has banged in 10 goals in 14 league games so far this season, while also finding the net in the Champions League and for Italy.
Milan get this game underway...
Montolivo goes searching for El Shaarawy with a long ball but Alvarez heads back to Andujar.
Bergessio nearly gets on the end of Lodi's through ball, but Amelia comes off his line to tidy up.
SHOT! the first half-chance drops to Kevin-Prince Boateng. The ball broke kindly to him on the edge of the area but Andujar got down well to stop his left-footed strike.
Milan have had all of the ball in the first 10 minutes, but Catania have won the first corner of the night.
GOAL! Catania 1-0 Milan (Legrottaglie): The centre-back thumps a header past Amelia! It was a beautiful out-swinging corner from Lodi and the 36-year-old arrived late into the box to give Catania the lead!
That goal came very much against the run of play. Milan hadn't really created anything, but they had dominated possession.
Alvarez punts a long ball into the box and the Milan defence looks scattered and disorganised as it drifts towards Almiron. However, the midfielder can't quite get his head on it. It seems Milan don't like the direct route...
Milan are continuing to see a lot of the ball, but not so much in advanced areas. More in midfield and defence.
Great work from Robinho! He turned Marchese excellently before playing in Montolivo down the right, but his cross is put behind for a corner by Legrottaglie.
The referee is just having a world with Catania coach Rolando Maran, who is getting a bit animated on the touch line.
CHANCE! De Sciglio drifts a ball in from the right and it falls to Nocerino, who has two shots blocked before Catania can clear their lines.
CHANCE! Bergessio gives Acerbi a hard time in his own area before nicking the ball off him and trying to find Castro, but De Sciglio is on hand to hack clear. Amelia had been dragged off his line as well, so it was great covering from the full-back, as Castro would have had an open goal to tap into.
Milan have had 65% possession so far but Catania are crowding them out in defence. There are 10 men behind the ball when Milan have it in the hosts' final third.
Andujar sprints off his line to head clear and prevent El Shaarawy from getting on the end of Robinho's long ball forward.
There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first half.
Catania 1-0 AC Milan
It has been an intriguing contest so far. There hasn't been much in the way of goal-mouth action, but it's not exactly been boring. Milan have dominated possession, but are struggling to break down a resilient Catania outfit. Niccola Legrottaglie's goal sees the hosts leading, but there's still 45 minutes left for Milan to get something from this game.
El Shaarawy has hardly had kick so far. Robinho has been Milan's best player, while Bergessio and Lodi have been good for Catania. It looks as though Bojan has been warming up at half time, could we see him early in the second half?
Catania resume play...
RED CARD! Barrientos receives his marching orders for a foul on Nocerino! It was his second yellow, but still looked very harsh!
Nocerino shielded the ball from Barrrientos, who tried to kick it from under his foot but completely missed the ball. He had been booked just before half time for diving. Catania have their work cut out now, especially with Milan dominating possession. Can the Rossoneri exploit the extra space?
The referee has done Catania absolutely no favours. That was a bad decision.
GOAL! Catania 1-1 Milan (El Shaarawy): It's that man again! Robinho got a vital touch to a long ball into the area and the youngster was on hand to fire past Andujar from just yards out! An instinctive finish... Milan are surely favourites now!
GOAL! Catania 1-2 AC Milan (Boateng): What a strike! The Ghanaian creates space on the edge of the area and curls one past Andujar! The game has been turned on its head!
To say it has been a disastrous 15 minutes for Catania would be an understatement. A man down, and now a goal down. Maran will no doubt blame the referee, and he would have a good point too.
Nocerino races through and goes down under Rolin's challenge, but the referee isn't interested! It probably should have been a penalty...
Milan are keeping possession as they did in the first half, but the difference now is they're leading. You fear for Catania now...
Milan sub: Urby Emanuelson comes on for Riccardo Montolivo.
CHANCE! It really should be three for Milan, but Andujar saves well from El Shaarawy! He was in acres of space at the back post.
There's so much space for Milan now. Robinho and El Shaarawy nearly link up once more but some last-ditch defending prevents another chance being created.
Catania sub: Mario Angel Paglialunga comes on for Salifu.
Catania sub: Souleymane Doukara comes on for Gonzalo Bergessio.
CHANCE! Milan break from Catania's corner and Robinho, El Shaarawy and Nocerino have a three-on-two situation. Robinho slips in Nocerino, who turns the ball back to the Brazilian, only for him to blaze over the bar. An absolute sitter.
Five minutes remain and it does not look like Catania can get anything from this game. They're still in it as long as it stays 2-1, but they are struggling to get the ball downfield... as you would expect, with 10 men.
CHANCE! Lovely build-up play by Milan sees Boateng, Nocerino and Boateng all threaten the Catania goal but none of them can find the net! It was a bit of a scramble, but Catania managed to clear their lines!
There's going to be five minutes of injury time...
RED CARD! Boateng sees a straight red for a foul on Castro.
GOAL! Catania 1-3 AC Milan (El Shaarawy): And that's the end of that chapter. El Shaarawy bends the ball around Andujar with his right peg to cap a wonderful second-half display. That's 12 goals for him this season. Unreal.
Catania 1-3 AC Milan
Written by
Michael Penkman
Michael Penkman
