An injury time winner from Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho earned AC Milan victory against a stubborn Sporting Braga side at the San Siro on Thursday.
The Brazilian’s goal maintained Milan – who went top of Serie A for the first time in four years last weekend – 100% record in the UEFA Cup this season. The forward found the top corner from twenty yards, just when it looked as through Braga had done enough for a point.
“I’m happy, not because I scored but because the team has earned an important result,” said the match-winner. “Everyone worked really hard and we played with a lot of calm. I hope we can continue along this path.
“The gaffer told us that Sporting Braga have done well in the UEFA Cup and haven’t conceded a goal in seven matches so we should be double-pleased.
“Every day I feel more and more at home,” he added in Spanish, not Italian.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti made a number of changes, leaving not only Ronaldinho, but Kaka, Marco Borriello and Clarence Seedorf on the bench as there were rare starts for Pippo Inzaghi and Andrei Shevchenko.
Milan started brightly and Inzaghi flicked a header just past the far post from a Marek Jankulovski cross from the left after just four minutes.
But Braga showed they would be no push-overs as two minutes later Colombian forward Wason Renteria turned Senderos in the box before finishing weakly into the side-netting with the whole goal to aim at.
Braga should have taken the lead in the final ten minutes, but Renteria missed a golden opportunity, before Ronaldinho’s late goal.
