GENOA - AC Milan returned to winning ways in emphatic style against Sampdoria in Genoa on Wednesday night.
Milan will wish they could play at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium every week after following up their 3-0 win over Genoa on the opening day of the season with another convincing triumph.
Kaka scored the first in the 47th minute with Alberto Gilardino doubling the lead five minutes later and completing his brace on the hour mark.
Yoann Gourcuff's 76th-minute strike and Clarence Seedorf's effort four minutes later sealed the rout to lift Milan out of their crisis and send Sampdoria deeper into their own.
It was a cagey start to the game, as could be expected between two sides who are both lagging well behind their respective expectations for the season.
Sampdoria coach Walter Mazzarri tried to spur his team into a reaction by recalling Reto Ziegler, Christian Maggio and Luca Castellazzi, and the latter was soon called into action.
He made a remarkable save diving low to his right to block Kakha Kaladze's header on the line after 11 minutes.
At the other end, Dida was not to be outdone by his opposite number and he levelled matters with a full-stretch diving save to tip Luigi Sala's deflected cross wide.
The only other chance of the first half fell to Clarence Seedorf, who lacked a touch of conviction as he attempted to reach Gennaro Gattuso's cross at the far post and shot wide of the far post.
Sampdoria were caught napping early in the second period as Milan took the lead.
Andrea Pirlo lifted a delightful ball over the top of the Sampdoria defence, who all expected the ball to go out for a goal-kick. Gilardino was determined to reach it, and he did, before dragging it back across the goal to Kaka who had an easy tap-in.
The Samp defence were still trying to organise themselves when, within five minutes, they found themselves two down.
This time it was Serginho who took the ball to the goal-line and lifted a cross into the middle for Gilardino to head in from close range.
Gilardino sensed a weakness in the opposing defence and did not need a second invitation to score his second.
He received the ball with his back to goal, turned past the inexperienced Alessandro Bastrini and slotted the ball almost effortlessly past Castellazzi for his fourth goal of the campaign.
With the defence in such disarray, Sampdoria were struggling to limit the damage.
And Milan were enjoying the exercise, with substitute Gourcuff getting the fourth 14 minutes from time.
Seedorf pulled the defenders towards him before finding Gourcuff, who fired the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle to pile on the misery for the hosts.
All Samp wanted was to hear the final whistle, but before they could, there was more suffering.
Seedorf was on the end of Cristian Brocchi's cross to head another simple goal for the Rossoneri.
