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Reuters
Reuters
Health

Roma hit back three times to hold leaders Milan

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 26, 2020 AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores their first goal REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

AC Milan lost their 100 percent record in Serie A when a defiant AS Roma came from behind three times to draw 3-3 in a game featuring two controversial penalties and another Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace on Monday.

Ibrahimovic, 39, took his Serie A tally to the six from only three games, having missed two matches with a COVID-19 infection.

Alexis Saelemaekers was also on target for Milan while Edin Dzeko, Jordan Veretout and Marash Kumbulla replied for Roma.

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 26, 2020 AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Milan have 13 points from five games, two ahead of Napoli and Sassuolo, while Roma have eight.

Milan got off to a flying start with a goal in the second minute. Rafael Leao chipped the ball over the Roma defence where Ibrahimovic, lurking behind Kumbulla, stuck out his right leg and diverted it past Antonio Mirante.

Roma were quickly level as a debutant Milan goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu misjudged a corner and the ball flew over him to the far post where Dzeko outjumped his marker to head in.

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 26, 2020 AS Roma’s Edin Dzeko in action with AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Tatarusanu, signed from Olympique Lyonnais, was brought into the side at the last minute after Gianluigi Donnarumma tested positive for COVID-19.

Leao also set up Milan's second goal two minutes after the break when he got away down the left and pulled the back into the area for Saelemaekers to side-foot past Mirante.

Roma levelled again in controversial circumstances in the 71st minute.

Soccer Football - Serie A - AC Milan v AS Roma - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 26, 2020 AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores their third goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Ismael Bennacer and Pedro collided as they went for a loose ball, the referee gave the penalty to Roma amid angry Milan protests and Veretout converted.

Milan also won a contentious penalty eight minutes later when Gianluca Mancini collided with Hakan Calhanoglu and Ibrahimovic calmly scored, leaving Roma to protest.

Roma's 84th minute equaliser came from another corner and Ibrahimovic was also involved when he stuck out a leg at the near post and deflected the ball into the path of Kumbulla who volleyed in.

(Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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