Higuain blots his copybook

– On-loan AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain (above) apologised for his meltdown in the 2-0 defeat to his parent club Juventus on Sunday which saw him sent off for screaming at the referee after earlier missing a penalty.

Argentine Higuain had shrugged off a back injury to take on his former team-mates after being loaned to AC Milan last summer to make space for the arrival of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

But tensions boiled over as AC Milan struggled to find a way past the reigning seven-time champions.

Higuain was sent off after 83 minutes, two minutes after Ronaldo, the player who took his place in Turin in a €100 million deal, fired in his eighth league goal in 12 matches since arriving from Real Madrid.

Higuain saw red after screaming at referee Paolo Mazzoleni in protest at a yellow card for a foul on Medhi Benatia.

“I know we are an example to children, for the people watching, but we are not robots, and we carry things within us,” Higuain said afterwards.

Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic headed in the opener in the eighth minute at the San Siro, before Higuain failed to convert his 40th-minute chance from the spot after a Benatia handball.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny tipped the ball onto the post.

Gennaro Gattuso’s AC Milan’s third loss saw them drop out of the Champions League places into fifth behind Lazio who moved back into fourth despite a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo.

Inter Milan are third, a further three behind second-placed Napoli, after a shock 4-1 loss at Atalanta. –

Milan