Nesta does the damage in dying minutes

Nesta does the damage in dying minutes

Alessandro Nesta scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, as AC Milan came from behind to beat Chievo 2-1.

Giampiero Pinzi put the home side ahead in the seventh minute but Chievo were unable to hold onto their advantage and succumbed to some heavy late pressure.

Nesta scored the equaliser in the 81st minute before heading home the winner deep in time added on.

The outcome lifted Milan up to sixth position in the Serie A standings and left them seven points behind leaders and city rivals Inter.

The visitors went into the game looking to cap a great week which had seen them beat Roma 2-1 before claiming a 3-2 triumph away to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Leonardo opted to play in-form Alexandre Pato, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ronaldinho in attack but it was the hosts who started strongly.

Michele Marcolini warmed the palms of Dida with a stinging drive from the distance which the keeper turned over for a corner.

Chievo broke the deadlock soon after when an unmarked Pinzi latched onto Andrea Mantovani's cross before firing past Dida on the volley from the centre of the six-yard box.

Dida was called into action soon after to save Sergio Pellissier's right-footed strike from the edge of the area.

Milan should have equalised in the 15th minute after Luca Antonini fed Clarence Seedorf inside the area, but the Dutchman's right-footed strike was saved by Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

On the half-hour mark, Pato wasted a good chance to restore parity with his close-range header from Pirlo's cross going high and wide.

Pellissier twice had the chance to extend his team's lead before the break.

He fired a left-footed strike from Pinzi's cross just over the bar with Dida already beaten, while seconds later his close-range header went wide.

Shortly after the re-start, Milan passed up a glorious chance to draw level as Pirlo missed an open goal.

Sorrentino did well to anticipate Pato but his clearance fell to Pirlo, who fired high over the bar.

Leonardo then made his first substitution with Marco Borriello replacing Huntelaar.

Borriello should have done better in the 68th minute after meeting Massimo Oddo's cross but he only manage a weak header that proved an easy catch for Sorrentino.

Milan's efforts finally paid off in the 81st minute.

Borriello connected with Pirlo's cross and his header rebounded off the crossbar and into the path of Nesta, who nodded the ball into the back of the net.

At the other end, Dida made a crucial save to clear substitute Pablo Granoche's close-range header from Pellissier's cross.

The Rossoneri poured forward in search of the winner and Sorrentino did well to save substitute Filippo Inzaghi's strike from inside the area.

But there was little Sorrentino could do to deny Nesta shortly after.

Nesta met Pirlo's corner into the six-yard box and nodded past Sorrentino to silence the home fans at the Bentegodi stadium and the Rossoneri held on for their fourth league victory of the campaign.