the goalkeeper following a through-ball by Boateng. Right on the hour mark, Andrea Pirlo played a pin-pointed cross to Ibrahimović, who controlled the ball into the penalty area and scored into the low right corner, sealing Milan's second straight 3–0 win. But in the last match before a three-week winter break, Milan lost 1–0 to Roma at the San Siro, the lone goal being scored by former Rossonero striker Marco Borriello. The league resumed on Thursday, 6 January; Milan traveled to the Stadio Sant'Elia to take on Cagliari. After a scoreless first half, during which the hosts hit the woodwork once, Milan went on to win the game thanks to the first career goal by 20-year-old Sierra Leonean midfielder Rodney Strasser five minutes before time. New signing Antonio Cassano, at his first official appearance for the club, provided the assist for the goal. Three days later, Milan played host to Udinese at the San Siro. The visitors took the lead in the 35th minute through Antonio Di Natale, who slid the ball into an empty net after Gökhan Inler hit the post; but the Rossoneri equalised in first-half injury time with Pato, who scored following a low cross by Ibrahimović. Udinese regained the lead eight minutes into the second half with a header by Alexis Sánchez and went ahead 3–1 when Di Natale scored his second of the day. Milan, however, pulled one back in the 78th minute, as Mehdi Benatia headed a cross by Thiago Silva into his own net, and equalised four minutes later through Pato, who had been set up by Cassano. With only one minute remaining, Germán Denis put Udinese ahead once again on a counter-attack, but in injury time Cassano set up Ibrahimović to make it 4–4. Despite the draw, Milan topped the table at the halfway mark. Milan were held to a second straight draw, 1–1 away against Lecce. The Rossoneri took the lead at the beginning of the second half with a 25-yard strike by Ibrahimović, but Rubén Olivera equalised for the host eight minutes before time. After a victory over Bari in the Coppa Italia round of 16 in mid-week, Milan returned to winning ways in the league too, by defeating Cesena 2–0 at home on 23 January. The Rossoneri took the lead in the last minute of the first half, when Cesena defender Maximiliano Pellegrino slid the ball into his own