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Milan tumbled to a shock home defeat that sees Sampdoria close to within a point and the Champions League dreams perhaps evaporate completely.

Few would have expected it at the start of the season, but this was effectively a head-to-head for UEFA Cup football. Just two points divided the teams going in. Milan were still smarting from their 2-1 loss at Roma and were without Ronaldo, Pippo Inzaghi, Marcos Cafu, Serginho and Yoann Gourcuff. Antonio Cassano continued to sit out his five-match ban and was joined by Daniele Franceschini on the naughty step.

Samp had not won here since a 3-2 result on February 2, 1997. Zeljko Kalac recovered from injury to start this game and took the sting out of an early Emiliano Bonazzoli attempt.

Milan were forced to change their tactics when Kaka limped off after just 10 minutes to make way for teenage striker Alberto Paloschi.

The Blucerchiati were more confident and took a deserved lead after 12 minutes. The Milan defence was caught napping, as the ball took two touches from Sampdoria players in the box before Christian Maggio's tap-in from five yards.

Massimo Ambrosini had penalty appeals waved away for a Maggio shirt tug and Paloschi fired wide of the near post from Clarence Seedorf's pass.

Instead, Sampdoria doubled their lead. Seedorf's backheel for Alexandre Pato was intercepted and they completed a classic counter-attack with Gennaro Delvecchio's finish.

Sergio Volpi's fierce free kick flashed across the face of goal with several Samp players flying in to get the decisive touch.

Alessandro Nesta had a rare crack at goal from 30 metres that was not too far off the target, then Seedorf was flagged offside - incorrectly - and fired wide anyway with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Maggio could so easily have made it 3-0 on the counter only to blast over the bar.

A well-timed Daniele Gastaldello tackle stopped Paloschi from scoring just inside the box. Alberto Gilardino came off the bench at half-time for a more attacking formation and with his first touch had a header deflected over from a corner. Gila also felt he deserved a penalty for a Stefano Lucchini challenge.

Milan were unlucky not to re-open the game as Pirlo's free kick smacked the base of the upright thanks to a Castellazzi fingertip save.

The Rossoneri finally got a goal back through their liveliest and most effective player - 18-year-old Paloschi - who got a glancing header to a Pato cross on 71 minutes.

Kakha Kaladze had more penalty appeals for a shirt-tug and Giuseppe Favalli's snapshot flashed past the near post.

Lucchini saw red in stoppages for a second bookable offence and Pirlo's free kick took a series of deflections in front of the goal.

Gennaro Gattuso was so nearly the San Siro hero with the captain's armband on, but Castellazzi did well to palm his shot out for a corner.

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Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski (Favalli 55); Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini (Gilardino 46); Kaka (Paloschi 10), Seedorf; Pato

Sampdoria: Castellazzi; Lucchini, Gastaldello, Accardi; Maggio, Sammarco, Volpi, Palombo, Pieri (Zenoni 74); Delvecchio (Ziegler 88), Bonazzoli (Bellucci 76)

Ref: Banti

Sent off: Lucchini 91 (S)

Channel 4