Around Europe: Milan on top after comeback derby win over Inter

Leão double and Giroud on target in 3-2 victory while in La Liga, Real Madrid keep their 100% record

Sat, 03 Sep, 2022 - 22:09

Reuters

TWO goals by Rafael Leão helped Milan fight back from a goal down and earn a 3-2 win over the champions and local rivals Internazionale in their fifth Serie A match of the season.

Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic scored his first Serie A goal of the season in the 21st minute after an assist by forward Joaquín Correa following a brilliant counterattack orchestrated by forward Lautaro Martínez.

Milan, however, levelled seven minutes later through Leão, who slotted home past Inter keeper Samir Handanovic after collecting a pass from Sandro Tonali. Stefano Pioli’s side kept pressing but spurned a host of chances before the half-time whistle. Olivier Giroud netted on 54 minutes with a weak but effective strike as it caught Handanovic unprepared. Leão scored his second goal and Milan's third in the 61st minute to extend the lead.

Inter did not go down without a fight, however, and scored just seven minutes later through forward Edin Dzeko, whose strike bounced off the post and slipped in.

Milan top the table on 11 points after five games. Inter are fifth with nine points.

In Spain, Real Madrid preserved their perfect start to the La Liga season as they beat Betis 2-1 thanks to a second-half winner from Rodrygo at the Bernabéu, keeping the defending Spanish and European champions at the top of the table.

Real struck first when David Alaba passed to Vinícius Jr with a magnificent long ball in the ninth minute, and the Brazilian raced forward and lobbed the ball over Betis keeper Rui Silva’s head. Betis responded eight minutes later when Real Madrid academy alumni Sergio Canales smashed an equaliser in between Thibaut Courtois legs.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team fought back with a vengeance but missed several opportunities until they finally managed to break the deadlock in the 65th minute, when Rodrygo thumped home a close-range finish from a Federico Valverde cross. Real Madrid now top the table on 12 points, the only team to win all of their first four games.

Umar Sadiq earned Real Sociedad a point at home against Atlético Madrid in a 1-1 draw in which the video referee assistant played a key role.

Álvaro Morata scored from a rebound in the fifth minute of the first half but had a second goal ruled out following a lengthy VAR review, due to a handball by João Félix in the build-up.

Sadiq, who was making his debut at La Real after signing from Almeria on Thursday, thumped home a close-range header in the 55th minute. Atlético’s staff and players complained that the ball took a deflection from the Nigerian striker’s hand before going in, but referee Cesar Grado confirmed the goal without checking the VAR footage.

Bayern Munich stumbled to their second 1-1 draw in a row on Saturday, coming away from Union Berlin with only the one point and dropping off the top of the Bundesliga table.

The Bavarians, who also drew 1-1 against Borussia Mönchengladbach last week and travel to Inter for their Champions League group opener next week, dropped to third on 11 points, the same as Union but above them on goal difference.