Ronaldinho scored an injury-time goal from more than 20 meters (yards) out to give AC Milan a 1-0 win yesterday over Sporting Braga in the UEFA Cup.
Ronaldinho, who came on as a second-half replacement, shot into the upper corner of the net to beat Braga goalkeeper Eduardo.
"I'm working very hard and it is paying off," said Ronaldinho. "We knew they were a team that is playing really well in the Cup so we knew this wasn't going to be easy."
Ronaldinho also scored a late winner Sunday to give Milan a 1-0 victory over Napoli that pushed the side to the top of Serie A for the first time since May 2004.
Braga, which is ninth in the Portuguese league, had not given up a goal in its previous seven UEFA Cup games this year.
The win gives Milan six points after the first two games of group play while Braga stays on three points. Wolfsburg defeated Heerenveen 5-1 Thursday and has three points.
Milan, coming off an eight-game unbeaten streak in Serie A that propelled the team to first place for the first time in four years, was unable to break through the Portuguese squad's defense until the final minute of injury time. Filippo Inzaghi came close with a header in the 4th minute and the Rossoneri threatened several other times.
Braga came close to scoring in the 6th when Wason Renteria hit the side of the Milan net that was protected by reserve goalkeeper Nelson Dida, who then made the best save of the night in the 29th on a low close-range shot by Cesar Peixoto.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has said his main goal is to finish as high as possible in the Serie A, but he has also made no secret of the fact that he would like a victory in the UEFA Cup, a tournament the Rossoneri have never won.
Ancelotti rested many regulars including playmaker Kaka and defender Gianluca Zambrotta. Clarence Seedorf came on in the second half with Ronaldinho. Milan started with a three-pronged attack of Andriy Shevchenko and Alexandre Pato setting up just behind striker Inzaghi. Inzaghi and Shevchenko have a combined 125 goals in European Cup games, but had trouble with the Braga defense.
Defender Philippe Senderos, an offseason acquisition, made his first start of the year for Milan after overcoming a foot injury while Mathieu Flamini also returned from injury to play in midfield.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 7, 2008)