TIME MACHINE: PATO IN AC MILAN v GENOA

After a season without, AC Milan v Genoa is back at San Siro in Serie A. The most recent memory of a clash with the Genoa side is a good one, it marked the start of a run of 6 consecutive wins that took us to Scudetto win number 19. As we draw nearer to the matchday 35 meeting, however, we have decided to relive a different clash, further back in time. Specifically, on one afternoon in January 2008, the first Rossoneri brace for a young talent who was in his first month as a Milanista: Alexandre Pato.

27 January 2008, the first game in the second half of the season. The start was bittersweet for AC Milan who won the FIFA Club World Cup in Yokohama but also finished the first half of the campaign sixth in the standings, -6 to the fourth spot occupied by Fiorentina. January saw mixed results, with wins over Napoli and Udinese on one hand, defeat to Atalanta in Bergamo and elimination from the Coppa Italia by Catania on the other. Newly promoted Genoa, managed by Gasperini, were cruising comfortably in the middle of the table thanks in part to goals from the future Rossoneri, Marco Borriello. That afternoon at San Siro, the Rossoneri started their usual Christmas Tree formation with Seedorf and Kaká behind Pato. The first half, however, went without celebration as the two Brazilians saw their attempts saved by a reactive Rubinho. It's the "Papero"'s afternoon, as we would find out in the second half.

The first of two gems from the 18-year-old Brazilian came at 68'. Maldini crossed from the left, nodded on by Seedorf for Pato who headed home. More drama in the 70th minute, when the very same Rossoneri number 7 came from deep to try and beat Rubinho, who was coming out of his net. Outside the box, the Brazilian keeper touched the ball with his gloves, an automatic sending-off. Genoa were down to 10 men and AC Milan kept attacking to put the game to bed. In the 82nd minute, Pato doubled the lead: the Brazilian first tried to beat Scarpi with a lob, then picked up the rebound to score a tap-in and bag his first brace as a Rossonero.

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