Pirlo penalty salvages point for Milan

ROME, Italy -- AC Milan needed a controversial penalty to salvage a 1-1 home draw against Livorno at the San Siro on Wednesday when they lost Brazil striker Ronaldo to another injury.

The European champions missed the chance to leapfrog Fiorentina into fourth place in Serie A after dropping two points against their lowly opponents.

A victory would have taken Milan up into the last Champions League qualifying place.

Instead they missed the likes of Kaka and Pato in an insipid display that made them look anything but the best team in Europe.

"We did a lot of good things in the first half, but we also spent a lot of energy, which cost us when they went ahead in the second half," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

"But a draw was OK tonight. We're not in great shape with all these games and we've got a lot of injuries."

Teenage star Alberto Paloschi started the match but he had an ineffectual game and was replaced soon after the restart.

Andrea Pirlo had the first chance with a shot from distance that Marco Amelia in the Livorno goal did well to tip round the post.

Livorno's top goalscorer Francesco Tavano had the visitors' best chance of the half but failed to hit the target while Milan's Georgia defender Kakha Kaladze header just over the bar from a corner.

Massimo Ambrosini had the clearest sight of goal in the first half for Milan but found Amelia in inspired form.

Five minutes after the break Livorno stunned their hosts with a goal of sumptuous quality as Nico Pulzetti celebrated his 24th birthday in style

Pulzetti curled home an unstoppable left-foot effort from the edge of the area that had Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac flapping at thin air.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti responded by taking off Paloschi and Alberto Gilardino and sending on veteran pair Filippo Inzaghi and Ronaldo in attack.

The lead did not last long as Milan hit back 11 minutes later in controversial circumstances.

Jose Vidigal was penalised, presumably for handball in the area, but he was under pressure from Ronaldo at the time, who fell awkwardly and had to be stretchered from the field, just minutes after coming on.

Pirlo sent Amelia the wrong way from the spot but it seemed a soft penalty at best and Vidigal was also harshly booked.

But Ronaldo's injury, his fourth this season, deprived Milan of an important attacking threat and they replaced him with his compatriot wing-back Serginho, leaving Inzaghi on his own up front.

With 14 minutes to play Inzaghi had a great chance to win the game but he headed French midfielder Yoann Gourcuff's right-wing cross too close to Amelia.

Pulzetti also had an opportunity a minute from time but he failed to make proper contact from eight yards out and the chance went begging. E-mail to a friend