sheet in six matches as the Rossoneri were eliminated by eventual finalists Werder Bremen. On 15 March 2009, Dida played his first Serie A match in over a year after Abbiati suffered a season-ending knee injury during Milan's 5–1 win at Siena. He finished the season as starter, keeping six clean sheets in a career-low ten league appearances as Milan placed third behind Inter and Juventus and returned to the Champions League. In 2009–10, with Carlo Ancelotti replaced by Leonardo as head coach after nine seasons, Milan finished third behind Internazionale and Juventus in Serie A for the second straight year, and were eliminated by Manchester United on a 7–2 aggregate in the Champions League round of 16. Dida was unable to compete for the starting spot after missing the preseason with injury, and served as Storari's backup until making his season debut as an injury substitute for the third time in his Milan career, in a 2–1 defeat of Roma on 18 October 2009. On 21 October, in his first Champions League appearance of the season against Real Madrid during the group stage, Dida caught an Esteban Granero header in the 18th minute and hurried to move the ball upfield without having complete control of it, causing him to bounce it off his knee and Raúl to slot the loose ball into an empty net. His mistake did not prove costly as Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas erred on two goals that enabled Milan to gain their first victory (3–2) at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Dida retained the starting spot on the back of strong league performances despite Storari returning to fitness, such as a stoppage-time save from Pablo Granoche in a 25 October 2–1 win over Chievo, and double and triple saves performed minutes apart in a 2–2 draw at Napoli on 28 October. Dida kept four clean sheets and conceded an average of one goal per game as Milan enjoyed an eight-match unbeaten league run in that stretch that ended in a 2–0 loss to Palermo on 13 December. With Dida retaining the number-one jersey into 2010 and Abbiati returning from injury, Storari was loaned to Sampdoria on 15 January. However, after Abbiati returned for his first match in ten months on 31 January, a 1–1 draw with Livorno that Dida missed due to a back injury, both keepers were subsequently juggled in and out of the starting