MILAN, 7 January 2005 — Argentine striker Hernan Crespo hit a hat trick as AC Milan beat Lecce 5-2 yesterday to move within two points of Serie A leaders Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Parma.
Champions Milan had the game at the San Siro wrapped up at 4-0 after just 57 minutes thanks to Crespo’s triple and a goal from European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko.
Lecce pulled two goals back after Milan defender Alessandro Nesta was sent off in the 74th minute. Danish substitute Jon Dahl Tomasson made it 5-2 for Milan near the end.
Juventus led at Parma through a 64th minute header from Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic before Marco Marchionni’s 85th minute goal ensured Fabio Capello’s side’s lead at the top was cut to just two points.
Third-placed Udinese’s 10-match unbeaten run came to an end with a 2-0 defeat at Sampdoria, while Inter Milan won 2-0 at Livorno.
Bottom club Atalanta picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 triumph over Fiorentina. Lazio and Roma meet in the Rome derby later.
Milan, who drew at Juventus before the Christmas break, have now scored 11 goals in their last two home games and they opened up Lecce with ease.
Crespo, who has rediscovered his form after a tricky start to his season loan spell from Chelsea, opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a simple tap in after a low cross from Brazilian Kaka.
The pair combined again for Milan’s second goal after 36 minutes, Crespo this time showing some smart footwork to round Lecce goalkeeper Vincenzo Sicignano after Kaka had burst down the left flank.
Six minutes after the break Shevchenko, who showed his ‘golden ball’ award to the crowd before the game, made it 3-0 with a far post header from Andrea Pirlo’s cross and unselfishly slipped the ball to Crespo for the Argentine’s third.
After Nesta was dismissed for a professional foul on Lecce’s Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov in the 74th minute, the visitors pulled two goals back.
Bojinov fired home a superb free kick just after the sending off and then Marco Cassetti made it 4-2 after 84 minutes before Shevchenko set up another tap in, this time for Tomasson.
“We showed today that we have regained the form we showed last season,” said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We feel strong, solid and confident in what we’re doing. We’re not thinking about the points, our aim is to maintain this form”.
Juve had several first half chances against Parma and looked to have picked up one of their characteristic single goal wins after Ibrahimovic was left unattended to head home a cross from Mauro Camoranesi.
But with five minutes left, Juve’s Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero’s dreadful miskick let in Marchionni who burst goalwards and after keeper Gianluigi Buffon parried his first, right-foot, shot he blasted in the second with his left for the equalizer.
“It can happen in football that you draw a game after you have played well and should have won. We paid the price for an unlucky incident,” said Capello.
Inter’s Brazilian striker Adriano missed a 25th minute penalty but they went ahead at Livorno three minutes before the break when defender Marco Materazzi headed in at the back post and then Vieri made it 2-0 with a second half spot kick.
Udinese’s excellent run of form was halted by Sampdoria who took the lead through a fine strike from the lively Francesco Flachi in the 68th minute.
They made it 2-0 when Marcello Castellini’s header against the bar bounced into the net off the back of Udinese keeper Morgan De Sanctis.
