Milan ease to opening success

First-half headers from Filippo Inzaghi and Yoann Gourcuff and a late Kaká penalty gave AC Milan an encouraging start to their UEFA Champions League campaign as they overcame Group H opponents AEK Athens FC with a dominant display.

Vintage Milan
The Rossoneri faithful were given a taste of Milan's new and old vintages as 33-year-old Inzaghi registered his 35th UEFA Champions League goal in the 17th minute while the 20-year-old Gourcuff headed in his first four minutes before half-time. Kaká capped an exemplary performance by slotting in the third goal with 14 minutes remaining after Inzaghi had been wrestled to the floor. The result leaves AEK still looking for their first UEFA Champions League win after 19 matches, a record they will attempt to end at home to RSC Anderlecht on Matchday 2, when Milan visit LOSC Lille Métropole.

Early exchanges
The game came to life on ten minutes when Milan's summer signing Gourcuff - deputising for the rested Andrea Pirlo - set the tone for what was to be a memorable full debut with a slide-rule pass into the path of Gennaro Gattuso, whose shot was palmed away by the onrushing Stefano Sorrentino. AEK's Italian goalkeeper had promised that his team would not sit back and so it proved two minutes later when Andrija Delibašić directed Stavros Tziortziopoulos's cross straight at Dida.

In-form Inzaghi
The visitors were let off the hook, though, when Ricardo Oliveira also squandered an aerial opportunity on the quarter-hour, guiding Gattuso's cushioned header wide from six metres, but Inzaghi was not so generous two minutes later. Sorrentino could only stand and watch as Paolo Maldini's left-wing cross was met by the Italian international, who planted a pinpoint header into the top corner of the net from ten metres.

Debut goal
Inzaghi showed another side to his game five minutes before half-time as he did his best to play in his strike partner Oliveira with a centre from the right which was a fraction too high for the South American. Instead it was another debutant who got on the scoresheet in the next attack. This time the damage was done down the Milan right, Kaká racing on to Dario Šimić's searching pass before picking out Gourcuff at the far post with a deep cross, and the Frenchman's firm downward header left Sorrentino helpless again.

Kaká gloss
The Greek team pressed forward after the break in a bid to get back into the match and, but for a timely interception from Šimić, Delibašić might have reduced the deficit within five minutes. Milan, though, continued to find space down the right and Kaká came close to converting Cafu's centre with a spectacular overhead kick, forcing Sorrentino to palm over. The keeper then kept out another close-range header from Inzaghi but eventually the pressure paid off as the No9 was knocked to the ground by Evangelos Moras and Kaká converted the resulting penalty. The Brazilian and Inzaghi missed further opportunities, though Milan will nevertheless be satisfied with their evening's work.