Lautaro elbow and Acerbi hair-pull go unpunished by referee in Inter-Milan derby

Two more controversial incidents have come to light from AC Milan’s derby win over Inter, with two moments going unpunished.

There is a lot of discussion ongoing surrounding the penalty awarded by Simone Sozza after a VAR check following what was adjudged to be a foul by Strahinja Pavlovic on Marcus Thuram. It has divided experts, with some calling it an ‘abomination’ and others stating it was a ‘reckless’ challenge.

A couple of other moments have gone under the microscope, though. Firstly, Lautaro Martinez swung an elbow at Matteo Gabbia while going up for a header in the first half. It left the defender with a bloodied nose, and the force behind it suggested there was a more cynical intention.

Then, there is the rather bizarre incident involving Rafael Leao and Francesco Acerbi. As the pair battled for an aerial ball, Leao was dragged to the ground by his hair, which rightly prompted his furious complaints and a long talking-to for the pair from Sozza. Both went unpunished.

Prima gomitata di #Lautaro a #Gabbia, poi calcione a #Pavlovic da terra.
Come fa ad essere ancora in campo l’argentino??
E in più questa robaccia qua di #Acerbi👇
Ah, l’ammonito alla fine e’ #Leao.

Che roba brutta, che schifo.
Sarà durissima, si cerca di portarla da loro in… pic.twitter.com/uMzPhgKoHv

— Milan memories (@MemoriesMilan) November 23, 2025