Sampdoria 0-1 AC Milan

Carlos Bacca gave Cristian Brocchi a winning start to life as AC Milan coach as the striker's second-half goal sealed a 1-0 win at Sampdoria.The Colombian's smart finish, which came shortly after he had missed a great chance to open the scoring, ended a five-match winless streak for the visitors, a run of form which had cost Brocchi's predecessor Sinisa Mihajlovic his job.Milan had taken two points from 15 going into the match, all but ending their hopes of catching fifth-placed Fiorentina. Last Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Juventus proved the final straw for Mihajlovic, with Brocchi placed in charge until the end of the season.And the former Milan midfielder stopped the rot at the first time of asking to leave Samp with work still to do to guarantee their Serie A status. The hosts thought they had gone in front in the 24th minute when Dodo stabbed home at the back post from Fernando's bicycle-kick cross from the right, but the effort was ruled out for offside.At the other end Emiliano Viviano produced a brilliant reaction save from point-blank range to deny Bacca after Mario Balotelli's headed flick from Ignazio Abate's cross dropped into the Colombian's path.Bacca had another chance early in the second half, but played through on goal, inexplicably tried a rabona finish when a simpler effort would have made it far easier for him to score and Viviano saved with his legs.At the other end Milan's teenage keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma got down well to hold Fabio Quagliarella's snapshot from a tight angle.Milan midfielder Juraj Kucka then curled a shot just wide after a neat build-up.Bacca finally broke the deadlock in the 71st minute. Giacomo Bonaventura broke into the area from the right and pulled the ball back for the former Sevilla striker. He took a touch to control it before lashing a shot across Viviano and into the net for his 15th league goal of the campaign.Modibo Diakite missed a golden chance to equalise when a deep free-kick came all the way through to him at the back post, but, only a couple of yards from goal, he could not get a touch on the ball.And that was as close as the home side came to a leveller as Milan held on to give the new man at the helm an ideal start.ends