The Canadian Press – Aug 13, 2022 / 11:51 am | Story: 380088
Photo: The Canadian Press
MILAN (AP) — It took less than 10 minutes of the Serie A season for the first refereeing controversy to arrive as defending champion AC Milan beat Udinese 4-2 Saturday with the help of a dubious penalty decision.
Udinese had taken a surprise early lead before Milan captain Davide Calabria collided with opposing defender Brandon Soppy as both went for the ball in the penalty area.
After a lengthy pause while he reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Livio Marinelli awarded a penalty to Milan — much to the outrage of the visiting team.
Theo Hernández converted the penalty and Ante Rebi? put Milan in front shortly afterwards.
Adam Masina leveled on the stroke of halftime but Brahim Díaz restored the Rossoneri’s lead before Rebi? added this second goal in the 68th.
Inter Milan was playing later with Romelu Lukaku set to make his second debut for the Nerazzurri against the same team he made his first against three years ago: Lecce.
After ending its 11-year wait for the league trophy, Milan kicked off its title defense in front of a sold-out San Siro.
But Udinese was one of the only teams — along with Juventus — Milan had failed to beat in its title-winning campaign.
And the packed stadium was silenced with less than two minutes on the clock when Rodrigo Becão headed in a corner to give Udinese the lead.
But Milan swiftly turned things around with the help of the controversial penalty, which Hernández struck confidently into the bottom left corner.
And it took the lead following a well-worked team move which was finished off by Rebi? volleying in a cross from Calabria.
Just as it appeared as though Milan was going to go into the break ahead, Roberto Pereyra floated in a cross from the right and Masina got away from his marker for a diving header.
But Milan restored its lead just 30 seconds after the interval as two Udinese defenders got into a tangle as they tried to deal with Hernández’s cross, allowing Díaz to tap in at the back post.
Díaz also had a hand in Milan’s fourth as he muscled his way along the byline before rolling the ball across for Rebi? two four into the top left corner.
Two of Milan’s new signings made their debut as Belgian players Charles De Ketelaere and Divock Origi were brought on in the second half.
The 21-year-old De Ketelaere had a late goal ruled out for offside.
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