Milan masterclass deflates Deportivo

AC Milan showed their determination to keep hold of the Champions League trophy with an emphatic 4-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna in a gripping quarter-final first leg tie.

The defending champions, 10 points clear at the top of Italy's Serie A with eight games to go, recovered from going a goal down to destroy their Spanish opponents in a stunning eight minute spell at the San Siro.

Walter Pandiani headed the Galicians into an early lead only for Brazilian midfielder Kaka to level the scores just before the break with a superb volley.

Andrei Shevchenko then put Milan in front with an angled drive less than a minute after the restart, before Kaka grabbed his second of the night with an almost identical finish.

Andrea Pirlo's 25-yard free-kick completed the demolition to give Deportivo a mountain to climb when the teams meet for the second leg in a fortnight.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti lavished praise on his players for turning the tie around after a worrying start.

"I told them at half-time to keep playing as they were and to put more pressure on Deportivo when they had possession," he said.

"We showed incredible enterprise after the break and managed to gain control of the match. At this point of the season, my players are showing great character."

Asked if the second leg was just a formality, he replied: "We have an important advantage, but we won't be taking anything for granted."

Deportivo coach Javier Irureta said conceding the equaliser just before half-time was the turning point.

"It was a massive psychological blow and we never recovered from it," he said.

"We made too many defensive errors and they punished us. The tie is not over and we have a great deal to do, but we will go for it."

Shevchenko said Milan's abundance of attack-minded players proved crucial in their recovery from the early setback.

"We have so many players in the team who can score goals, that is our strength," he said.

Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson fell victim to Ancelotti's rotation policy and was dropped to the bench in favour of Filippo Inzaghi, despite scoring twice in last Saturday's 3-1 win over Parma.

Alessandro Nesta was ruled out with a thigh injury and replaced by Milan's most experienced player, 37-year-old Alessandro Costacurta.

Brazilian Nelson Dida kept his place in goal having recovered from a bruised back which he suffered against Parma.

Irureta recalled Juan Carlos Valeron, Mauro Silva and striker Uruguayan striker Pandiani, who were all rested for last Saturday's 1-0 win over Murcia.

Deportivo saw little of the ball in the opening stages, but the Spaniards sat back patiently and hit Milan with a sucker punch in the 11th minute.

Alberto Luque tapped a left-wing corner short to Joan Capdevila and his cross found Pandiani whose powerful header from the edge of the six-yard box gave Dida no chance.

Milan were stung into action by the away goal and should have drawn level six minutes later when Marcos Cafu's right-wing cross picked out compatriot Kaka at the back post, only for the talented 21-year-old to slice his shot wide from eight yards out.

The home side kept up the pressure with Clarence Seedorf firing inches wide before two crosses in quick succession from Giuseppe Pancaro were headed wide by Inzaghi and then Shevchenko.

Kaka twice shot into the arms of Jose Francisco Molina as Milan pounded Deportivo's goal and Inzaghi was unfortunate to see his close range shot blocked by the legs of the busy Deportivo keeper.

Milan refused to lie down and their aggressive approach paid off on the stroke of half-time.

Cafu swung over a cross from the right and Kaka controlled the ball on his thigh before lashing a fierce volley low into the bottom corner.

Only 20 seconds of the second-half had passed when Milan went in front thanks to some woeful defending from the visitors.

Shevchenko ran at the heart of the Deportivo defence and a huge gap opened up for the Ukrainian to drill home past Molina with an unstoppable right-foot drive.

Seedorf set up Kaka to make it 3-1 three minutes later with an equally explosive finish, before dead-ball specialist Pirlo found the top corner from outside the box.