Milan open Serie A season with 4-2 win over Udinese

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 Rebić put Milan in front shortly afterwards.

Adam Masina levelled on the stroke of halftime but Brahim Díaz restored the Rossoneri's lead before Rebić 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 defence 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 aid 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 Rebić 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 Rebić to fire 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.

Hertha fans sing despite only drawing with Frankfurt 1-1

They sang as if they'd won. Hertha Berlin missed a host of chances as it was held to a 1-1 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday, but its fans celebrated what seemed like a new beginning for the beleaguered club.

Suat Serdar scored early for Hertha and might have sealed the win late if his shot wasn't blocked in front of the line by teammate Stevan Jovetic.

Hertha's point is the first earned under new coach Sandro Schwarz and it came after what was arguably the team's most encouraging performance since a win over Borussia Dortmund last December.

Hertha fans' loyalty has been tested by underachievement and scrapes with relegation in recent seasons, at a time when city rival Union Berlin has been achieving success after success since its promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019.

Union won their city derby for the fourth time in a row last weekend.

Hertha was also knocked out of the German Cup in the first round the weekend before.

But the Hertha supporters are used to challenges. They put on a huge blue-and-white choreography for their first home game of the season.

Roared on by the home support, Hertha took an early lead when Dodi Lukebakio crossed for Serdar to score in the third minute.

New signing Wilfried Kanga should have scored in the 22nd but he somehow managed to shoot over an empty net.

Hertha was to rue the miss when Daichi Kamada equalized early in the second half.

Randal Kolo Muani set up the Japanese midfielder for an easy finish after winning the ball from Hertha defender Filip Uremovic.

Leverkusen also had a late penalty decision overturned by VAR. Hertha's fans stayed after the final whistle to thank their team.

Frankfurt had been bidding to get over its UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday, its 6-1 loss at home to Bayern Munich the weekend before, and a nine-game winless run in the league stretching back to a 2-1 success over Bochum in March.

Mario Götze made his first league start for the club following his transfer from PSV Eindhoven.

Timo Werner scored on his second Leipzig debut after returning from Chelsea last week but couldn't stop the team slumping to another draw, 2-2 at home to Cologne.

The Germany forward shot from distance and Cologne 'keeper Marvin Schwäbe let the effort slip through his fingers in the 36th.

Florian Dietz equalized against the run of play in the 40th and Leipzig forward Dominik Szoboszlai was sent off before the break for lashing out at Florian Kainz with his elbow after the Cologne midfielder had tugged his shirt.

Christopher Nkunku restored Leipzig's lead with a brilliant strike in the 56th, but an own goal from Josko Gvardiol ensured another draw after its 1-1 with Stuttgart last weekend.

Also Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen slumped to another defeat, 2-1 at home to Augsburg. Promoted Werder Bremen drew with Stuttgart 2-2, and Hoffenheim beat Bochum 3-2.

Marius Bülter scored an injury-time penalty for promoted Schalke to salvage a 2-2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the late game.

Rennes squanders lead in 11 draw against 10-man Monaco

Rennes' defensive issues were exposed as it squandered the lead to draw 1-1 with 10-man Monaco in the French league on Saturday.

In a clash between two contenders for European spots, Monaco forward Breel Embolo pounced on a heavy touch from goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar to equalize with a sliding effort in the 73rd minute.

Rennes striker Gaetan Laborde opened the scoring by converting a rebound in the 59th. Monaco was down to 10 men in the 15th when midfielder Youssouf Fofana was red-carded for a stamp on Martin Terrier's ankle.

Despite its numerical superiority, Rennes looked shaky at the back.

Embolo proved a magnet for fouls and Joe Rodon and Arthur Theate were booked for holding the forward in the 21st and the 23rd, respectively.

Steve Mandanda also received a yellow card in the 31st for catching Embolo in the face while attempting to punch the ball away.

The Rennes goalkeeper made amends by stopping the subsequent penalty taken by Axel Disasi before denying Krepin Diatta in the 36th.

However, Mandanda picked up a knock and was replaced by Alemdar at halftime.

Monaco goalkeeper Alexander Nubel helped salvage a point by turning Baptiste Santamaria's long-range strike around the post in the 27th and parrying a close-range header from Terrier in the 28th.

Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain played Montpellier later Saturday.