AC MILAN's hopes of reaching the European Cup quarter-finals suffered another body blow in Gothenberg last night when they crashed 2-1 to the Swedish champions.

Milan, who lost their opening Group D game in the Champions League 32 to FC Porto, looked set for victory when Liberian George Weah broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute.

But Erik Wahlstedt levelled in the 75th aad Niclas Alexaadersson, who had set up the equaliser, scored the winner with just five minutes left.

The defeat, against a side who had lost both their previous matches, came just five days after Milan were thrashed 3-0 by AS Roma and is bound to put question marks over the future of new coach Oscar Tabarez.

And yet, Milan had started the match brightly enough and were unlucky not to have been in front by the break.

Marco Simone put Weah through in the third minute and although the Liberian's flick with the outside of his right foot beat Swedish goalkeeper Thomas Ravelli, it clipped the bottom of the post and bounced wide.

Tomas Locatelli, a 20-year-old revelation in midfield, had a chance four minutes later when he rounded two defenders in the Gothenberg defence but his left-foot shot drive was met by Ravelli.

Gothenberg had two clear, chances but Magnus Erlingmark failed to get in a clean strike quickly enough as he surged towards Milan goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi at full speed.

Andreas Andersson ballooned over a close range shot, but the better chances were falling to the Italian champions.

Weah broke through again only to have his shot blocked on the edge of the area. The ball ran free to Locatelli but his curling drive went just inches wide of an empty goal.

A third chance fell to Weah before the break, but FIFA's World Player of the Year failed to control a high-bouncing ball as he outmanoeuvred Ravelli. But he made no mistake in the 53rd minute.

Collecting a long throughball, Weah struck it deftly to the left of the advancing Ravelli and into the far corner.

It looked to have been enough until the last quarter off an hour, when Alexandersson ghosted past Paolo Maldini with some superb skill on the byline. Andreas Andersson backheaded the cross and Weblststedt nodded it across the goal into the far corner.

Alexandersson promptly got his reward just 10 minutes later when a floated cross sprung Milan's offside trap and he was left completely alone in the area to beat Rossi from close range.