Milan through despite BATE draw
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Xinhua, November 2, 2011
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan reacts after he scored a goal against FC BATE Borisov during their UEFA Champions League soccer match at Dinamo stadium in Minsk, Belarus on Tuesday,?November 1,?2011. |
AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited BATE Borisov in Champions League Group H on Tuesday in Minsk.
Milan's striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the visitors ahead in the 22nd minute. BATE was enjoying several promising counterattacks but lacked the quality to break decisively through the Milan defence.
After the break, BATE upped the tempo and were rewarded when Milan's defender Ignazio Abate leaned on Artem Kontsevoy in the area to concede a penalty. Renan Bressan's 55th minute penalty cancelled out Zlatan Ibrahimovic's early opener to ensure that the sides would have to settle for a share of the spoils.
Milan upped the pressure but could find no way past Gutor, who pulled off smart stops to twice deny Ibrahimovic.
Milan have nearly qualified for the next round of the Champions League, although the team would have liked to dedicate a victory to hospitalized Cassano, who has been in hospital after falling ill on the flight back to Milan following its 3-2 win at Roma on Saturday.
