Hat-trick hero Inzaghi steals Beckham show

Veteran forward Filippo Inzaghi stole the show from David Beckham with a hat-trick as AC Milan returned to winning ways in a 3-0 success over Atalanta at the San Siro on Sunday.

The script seemed to have been written for Beckham to score the winner on the same day that it was announced he would stay at Milan until the end of the season, but instead it was his 35-year-old team-mate whose treble proved decisive.

Perhaps more important for Milan, who've been in disarray on the pitch recently, going out of the UEFA Cup 10 days ago and losing at Sampdoria in the league last weekend, is that the victory gave them a five-point gap over fourth-placed Fiorentina, who lost 2-0 at home to Palermo.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti said Inzaghi had helped lift the club out of a crisis.

"He gave us a real helping hand. It was a tough match and for most of the first half Atalanta caused us problems," he said.

"Then Pippo's ability to find the right place to be in allowed us to end the match well.

"We were in a crisis and now I hope that this result has put an end to the crisis."

Only the top three in Serie A will go straight into next season's Champions League group stages with the fourth place finisher having to negotiate two qualifying rounds.

With his contract uncertainty behind him, Beckham seemed to have a new lease of life and he was even given a free role behind forwards Inzaghi and Pato by Ancelotti.

The former England captain initially thrived in that position, dictating the play with his array of passing.

One raking 50-yard crossfield ball sent Pato scampering away towards goal while a clever flick with the outside of his boot to find Mathieu Flamini drew gasps and a round of applause from the stands.

His crosses were also causing havoc and it was from one of those that Milan took a seventh-minute lead.

Atalanta failed to clear a dangerous ball in from Beckham and Marek Jankulovski picked up the loose ball before firing it across the box for the unmarked Inzaghi to poke home.

Andrea Pirlo also tried to muscle in on the Beckham show and planted a 30-yard free-kick onto the roof of the net.

The visitors were at times dangerous and Tiberio Guarente forced Christian Abbiati into making a diving one-handed save on the half hour.

Abbiati was soon called back into action to keep out a Gianvinto Plasmati header at his near post as Atalanta caused problems for Milan's backline in the air.

After the break a clever Beckham pass played in Pato but Andrea Consigli rushed out to block his attempted dink finish from close range.

Serie A top scorer Marco Di Vaio also scored a hat-trick as Bologna thrashed Sampdoria 3-0.





Kasahara