One of the controversial incidents in AC Milan’s win over Udinese last night continues to divide opinions among pundits and experts.

There was a flash point 10 minutes before the break in last night’s 2-0 win when Ramos went down holding his face. The teenage defender Palma appeared to swing an arm into his face after the pair bumped each other, yet the referee was not told to consult the monitor.

Marcenaro then booked Ramos for dissent after he went down inside the box following another tussle. The well-known account Errori Arbitrali – which looks into the key incidents from each round of games – has published their take on things.

“You know that for me, if the VAR intervenes to give a red card after a deliberate reaction gesture to the face without any contest for the ball, it never gets it wrong (unless, as the rules say, the force used is not negligible).

“In this case, Palma is true that he doesn’t put too much power into the blow, but he deliberately raises his elbow knowing full well about Ramos’s position behind him.”

Ragazzi sapete che per me se il VAR interviene per dare un rosso dopo un gesto di reazione volontario al volto senza contesa del pallone non sbaglia mai (a meno che, come dice il regolamento, la forza usata non sia irrilevante).

🟥 In questo caso Palma è vero che non carica… pic.twitter.com/jJYsoRGtOU

— Denis Errori Arbitrali (@erroriarbitrali) October 26, 2026

Former referee Graziano Cesari spoke to Pressing (via MilanNews) to comment on the refereeing incidents from Serie A’s matchday eight, and on the Ramos one.

“We’re in the 35th minute. Gonçalo Ramos goes to the ground after Palma hits him in the face with the ball far away. Referee Marcenaro absolutely can’t see it.

“There are two aggravating factors here: the ball is far away and this is an absolutely deliberate and not accidental intervention, he actually elbows him. The assistant who is nearby says nothing, just as there is no intervention by the VAR. This for me is a red card.

“Then let’s not complain if in Europe they give a red card and a penalty for hitting an opponent in the face. Palma is incredibly naive. It’s not an open-handed blow, it’s a blow with the elbow that lands directly in the face. The assistant should have seen it, it happened right in front of him.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport have written the following: “In the 36th minute, Palma uses an open, ‘limp’ hand to break free from Ramos; while not an act of violent conduct, it is unsportsmanlike – warranting a potential yellow card.

“VAR cannot intervene, and since Marcenaro misses the incident, the Udinese defender escapes a booking. A yellow card (correctly issued) is shown shortly after (38th minute) to Ramos, who grabs Abankwah by the neck inside the Udinese penalty area and pulls him to the ground.”