Adrian Mutu fought back for Fiorentina after Kaka's penalty to earn a 1-1 draw at Milan, so neither side stays on top of the table.

This match was moved to Monday evening due to Milan's 3-1 European Super Cup win over Sevilla on Friday August 31. Carlo Ancelotti was tempted to rotate the squad, but stayed with much the same line-up - introducing Alberto Gilardino for continental specialist Pippo Inzaghi - for what was a head-to-head battle for the Serie A leadership. Gennaro Gattuso played despite needing stitches for a cut above his eye, picked up during that Monaco match.

Fiorentina were without the injured Riccardo Montolivo, so Mario Alberto Santana started and in the opening minutes his first touch wasted a great counter-attack opportunity set up by Adrian Mutu.

Gilardino's volley was charged down and he was not alert enough to turn in the loose ball. Moments later Milan had a glorious chance to take the lead. Kaka's scuffed shot was flicked into the air by Gilardino and Sebastien Frey performed an absolutely astonishing reaction save to lean back and flap it off the line twice with his fingertips.

Giampaolo Pazzini nodded Tomas Ujfalusi's cross inches over the crossbar.

The referee pointed to the spot after 26 minutes when Dario Dainelli mistimed his challenge and clearly brought down Massimo Ambrosini in the area. Kaka converted by sending Frey the wrong way, his third goal in two Serie A games.

Gilardino held up Andrea Pirlo's ball for Kaka to control and strike past the base of the upright from just outside the box.

Fiorentina really should have equalised on 38 minutes, but Nelson Dida challenged Frey for his reaction save, twice parrying from Under-21 international Pazzini at point-blank range.

Clarence Seedorf failed to make the most of Kaka's smart build-up, volleying well off target.

Fiorentina drew level 11 minutes after the restart. Ambrosini failed to clear the ball effectively, so Santana floated it to the back post for Mutu's towering header past Dida's outstretched hand.

Seedorf drilled over from distance and Marcos Cafu replaced the tired Massimo Oddo at right-back. The Viola also made changes, throwing on summer signing Franco Semioli and former Milan striker Christian Vieri, who only spent six disappointing months here.

Gilardino was also replaced by Inzaghi and the fans at San Siro had been jeering Gila all the way through, not helping his already shattered confidence.

Frey did well to fingertip a Kaka snapshot round the base of the post and Cafu's volley was deflected over from the resulting corner kick.

However, the Viola became even more dangerous on the counter-attack, as Mutu brilliantly flicked the ball on with the outside of his right foot, shaving a coat of paint off the far post.

Inzaghi wasted a glorious opportunity. Ambrosini ran through two defenders and rolled across for SuperPippo, but he incredibly hit a fresh air shot when all that was needed was a touch to turn it in from six yards! Inzaghi and the crowds in the stands weren't quite sure how it happened.

Vieri nearly scored against his old teammates, as Alessandro Nesta didn't deal with Semioli's counter-attack, but did charge down Bobo's strike.

Emerson made his Serie A debut in a Rossoneri jersey for the final 15 minutes, but Fiorentina went close again with another defensive mix-up. Mutu and Vieri passed the ball around quickly for Kuzmanovic to thump the base of the upright. The move continued towards the other end with the Viola youngster down injured and a row broke out between Kaka, Fabio Liverani and Gattuso over who was meant to put the ball out of play.

Pirlo's chipped pass for Inzaghi was plucked out of the air by Frey in a very open and fast-pace close to the match with chances at both ends. Dainelli had to close down Inzaghi as he chested the ball and prepared to turn and volley.

Semioli's low drive deep into stoppages was comfortably smothered by Dida, but in the final seconds Dainelli pushed Inzaghi in the D. With the last kick of the game, Pirlo touched the ball on for Marek Jankulovski to blast over.

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Milan: Dida; Oddo (Cafu 61), Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini (Emerson 76); Kakà, Seedorf; Gilardino (Inzaghi 65)

Fiorentina: Frey; Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual; Donadel (Kuzmanovic 57), Liverani, Gobbi; Santana (Semioli 62), Pazzini (Vieri 62), Mutu

Ref: Farina

Channel 4