THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILAN, Italy — Teenager Alberto Paloschi scored just 15 seconds after entering his first Serie A game to give AC Milan a 1-0 victory over Siena on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Paloschi made his league debut in the 63rd minute and scored immediately in a game that Siena had been dominating.
Injuries to Alexandre Pato and Kaka gave Paloschi the opportunity to come on as a substitute for Ronaldo, who was ineffective for most of the game.
"I dedicate this goal to my whole family," Paloschi said. "I never expected a debut like this. I can’t believe that I scored a goal on my first game at San Siro."
The win puts Milan two points behind fourth-place Fiorentina in the battle for the last Champions League berth, with a game in hand.
Inter Milan leads the Serie A with 56 points, Roma has 48, Juventus 44 and Fiorentina 38.
Inter defeated Catania 2-0 in its first league match in the Sicilian city in 24 years.
Catania’s aggressive pressing held Inter’s prolific attack in check for the first half and neutralized Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was replaced by midfielder Maniche in the 71st.
Inter had its first shot on goal in the 63rd, and Esteban Cambiasso tapped in an easy goal a minute later when the referee failed to whistle for a clear offsides.
With the Catania defence stretched as the team looked for a quick equalizer, David Suazo doubled the lead in the 67th by dribbling around goalkeeper Ciro Polito after an offsides trap had failed.
Inter controlled the rest of the game with Julio Ricardo Cruz hitting the post in the 89th.
"In the first half they didn’t give us any space to play, but in the second half their rhythm fell because they were tired," Cruz said.
Juventus rallied for a 2-1 win over Udinese behind second-half goals from Mauro Camoranesi and Vincenzo Iaquinta and several spectacular saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who returned from a back injury that kept him sidelined for several weeks.
"I’m not 100 per cent and I can tell by the little things, but it went well," Buffon said. "If I’m careful and I get rest the problem can be contained."
Andrea Dossena had given Udinese the lead in the sixth minute before Camoranesi equalized in the 60th, in his first game back after missing more than two months with an injury. Iaquinta scored the winner in the 76th against his former team.
"This win is a great blast of oxygen for us," Buffon said.
Second-place Roma beat Reggina on Saturday and Fiorentina drew 2-2 at Atalanta.
Torino scored three unanswered goals to rally for a 3-1 win over Palermo. Aimo Diana equalized for Torino, after leaving Palermo during the January transfer period. David Di Michele, another former Palermo player, scored the other two goals.
Torino had gone five home games without a win.
In Sunday’s other games, it was: Cagliari 1, Parma 1; Empoli 1, Lazio 0; Genoa 1, Livorno 1; and Sampdoria 2, Napoli 0.
In Milan’s victory, Australia goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac made several diving saves, including one with a minute left in the second half.
Kalac had been the backup keeper until Dida was injured. With Dida now recovered, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has opted to start Kalac in the last two games.
"I was on the bench for 2 1/2 years. If he spends some time on the bench now that’s OK," Kalac said.