Milan, Aug 18: Marcus Thuram’s double was not enough to let Inter Milan kick off its title defence with a win as a late penalty helped Genoa draw 2-2 in their Serie A opener on Saturday.
Thuram had been a revelation in his first season in Italy with 15 goals and 14 assists across all competitions and he netted once in each half in Genoa to give Inter the lead after Alessandro Vogliacco’s surprise opener.
However, Genoa was awarded a penalty deep in stoppage time and Junior Messias scored from the rebound after Yann Sommer saved his spot kick.
It was a rare Serie A match featuring two coaches who were also in charge of their teams last season. AC Milan is one of 14 teams which have a new coach in the league and Paulo Fonseca’s first match in charge saw his team score two very late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Torino.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter ran away with the Serie A title last season and looked strong from the start in Genoa, with both Thuram and Hakan Çalhanoglu having early chances.
But it was Genoa which took the lead in the 20th minute. Coach Alberto Gilardino had been forced to rebuild after losing his two main scorers in Mateo Retegui and Albert Gudmundsson and the opener came from an unlikely source.
A free kick was headed goalwards and Sommer appeared to have it under control but fumbled it onto the bar as he jumped backwards and Vogliacco was quickest to react on the rebound to poke it home.
It was the 25-year-old’s first goal in more than 140 senior matches.
Thuram leveled 10 minutes later when he headed Nicolò Barella’s cross from the right into the far bottom corner.
Inter was awarded a penalty shortly afterwards but the referee revoked his decision after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor as Genoa captain Milan Badelj had got to the ball first and been kicked by Thuram, rather than the other way around.
The visitors came close to taking the lead just before halftime as first Yann Bisseck’s shot was charged down, then Lautaro Martinez’s follow-up was parried by Genoa goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini and Federico Dimarco saw his effort on the rebound headed off the line by Badelj.
Dimarco had a goal ruled out for offside after the break and the flag went up again when Thuram had the ball in the back of the net six minutes from time with a delicious chip over Gollini. But it was adjudged to be onside on VAR review.
Inter appeared to be heading for the win but in stoppage time half the Genoa bench were on their feet appealing for handball and another pitchside review deemed that Bisseck had handled the ball as he tried to head it clear.
Milan’s late comeback
Milan seemed all but certain to be heading for defeat a minute from normal time.
But then Álvaro Morata struck on his debut in the 89th minute – sticking out a boot to redirect a wayward shot into the back of the net – and Noah Okafor volleyed in the equalizer in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Morata, who had two spells at Juventus, also had a goal ruled out and penalty decision in his favour revoked on his return to Serie A.
Torino had seemed comfortable following a first-half own goal by Malick Thiaw and Duván Zapata’s header in the 68th.
Parma draw in return
Parma’s first match back in Serie A ended with a 1-1 draw at home to Fiorentina, in Raffaele Palladino’s debut in charge of the visitors.
Dennis Man curled in the opener for Parma in the 22nd minute but Cristiano Biraghi leveled in the 75th with an angled drive.
Fiorentina pushed for all three points but its chances diminished when defender Marin Pongracic was sent off in the 83rd following a second yellow card.
Palladino’s former team, Monza, drew 0-0 at Empoli. (AP)
