In the 20th minute, Alessandro Nesta went to ground, tugging Cesena forward Igor Budan with him. This shirt yanking earned Nesta more than a slap on the wrist:once he was up, the referee showed yellow, but Nesta headed to the touchline clutching his wrist. Just two minutes later, Sokratis was on in his place, which certainly isn't going to reassure fans of AC Milan.
In fact, this comedy of errors is indicative of the first thirty minutes of the match. Cesena have had the better of the two chances, forcing two saves from Milan keeper Christian Abbiati within two minutes, with a goal line clearance sandwiched in between. On the other end of the field, the Rossoneri chances have become almost comical. Again and again the likes of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimović have sent shots toward goal, only to meet either the strength of the Seahorses' defense or send the ball straight into the arms of Francesco Antonioli.