Sassuolo pulled off another massive upset in less than seven days as they fought back from a narrow deficit to beat Inter 2-1 at Giuseppe Meazza. Only four days after dismantling Juventus 4-2 on home turf, Alessio Dionisi’s men knocked Nerazzurri down from a perfect Serie A start.
Inter seemed to be on the verge of extending their five-game winning streak at the beginning of the new league campaign when Denzel Dumfries opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime. However, Sassuolo staged a sensational second-half comeback to frustrate Simone Inzaghi.
The Inter boss was furious as Yann Sommer made a huge mistake to help Nedim Bajrami level the score just nine minutes into the second half. While Sommer could be held accountable for Sassuolo’s equalizer, there was nothing he could’ve done against Domenico Berardi’s brilliant curling effort from outside the box.
It took Sassuolo less than ten minutes to turn the game on its head. They did a sterling job keeping Inter at bay for the remainder of an enthralling contest in Lombardy.
Inter (3-5-2)
Yann Sommer – 4.5
The Swiss goalkeeper made two outstanding saves in quick succession down the final stretch of the first half. But his effort went in vain as he gifted Sassuolo an equalizer. There wasn’t much he could’ve done to stop Berardi’s masterpiece from finding the net.
Alessandro Bastoni – 5.5
While his passing and composure on the ball often allowed Inter to build from the back despite Sassuolo’s occasional press, the visitors’ free-flowing frontline caught him off guard on more occasions than expected.
Francesco Acerbi – 6.5
Even though Inter capitulated multiple times, the veteran defender did his defensive job to a tee. He was rock-solid at the back without being too spectacular, but he won’t be proud of his passing game this evening.
Matteo Darmian – 5.5
Despite occasional attempts to get forward to support his wing-back, the Italian defender couldn’t keep his passing on point. But it’s fair to admit he was never on the back foot against Sassuolo star Armand Lauriente. That’s not a straightforward task by any stretch of the imagination.
Federico Dimarco – 5
After a stellar performance against Empoli, the Italian full-back struggled against Jeremy Toljan. The German reduced his attacking presence to the bare minimum while he gave him a slip that almost led to Sassuolo’s opener in the first half.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 5
It was probably his least impressive display in the Inter jersey this season, with the Armenian struggling to get into the game. It wasn’t much of a surprise Inzaghi withdrew him at the hour mark. He might have lasted longer than he should.
Hakan Calhanoglu – 6
He wasn’t as influential on the ball as he could be but still provided safety in front of the backline with his pinpoint passing accuracy and tireless defensive runs. But his approach tonight was too conservative, given the circumstances.
Nicolo Barella – 6
He worked exceptionally hard and ignited the crowd with several slide tackles, especially in the first half. While you’d expect he should’ve had the beating of relatively inexperienced Daniel Boloca, it wasn’t the case.
Denzel Dumfries – 7
The Flying Dutchman was much more involved in the game than his companion on the opposite flank. Though his crossing wasn’t on the money tonight, he redeemed himself with a delightful finish to open the scoring.
Lautaro Martinez – 5
It was a largely frustrating night for the Inter captain. Sassuolo defenders kept him quiet, closing him down quickly and vigorously. He didn’t have a clear sight of goal all night.
Marcus Thuram – 5.5
The Frenchman was unlucky to see his thumping header fly agonizingly over the bar. Despite trying to influence the game with a constant movement off the ball, he didn’t have another scoring chance. But he at least chipped in with an assist.
Substitutes
Carlos Augusto – 6
The attacking-minded left-back provided a spark in the front third since coming on, but his intensity dwindled as the game progressed.
Stefan de Vrij – 5.5
After taking Bastoni’s place midway through the second half, he did everything right to keep Inter’s defense from conceding more on Sassuolo’s counter-attacks.
Davide Frattesi – 5.5
The ex-Sassuolo midfielder could’ve and should’ve scored moments after taking the field. However, Andrea Consigli pulled off a massive stop to deny him one-on-one.
Alexis Sanchez – 3.5
Nothing went his way at San Siro. Every touch was a waste.
Davy Klassen – N/A
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