Sassuolo put Milan to the sword at the San Siro on Saturday afternoon, coming from a 1-0 deficit to beat last season’s Serie A runners-up 3-1 in their own backyard. As was the case against Fiorentina last time out, the Rossoneri shot themselves in the foot, making several rookie mistakes to give away the three points.
Milan entered this round on the back of a 1-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, but Stefano Pioli’s men failed to replicate that performance against a spirited Sassuolo side.
Milan
Mike Maignan (5.5)
The Frenchman could not have picked a worse moment to return from injury as his defenders let him down one too many times. However, he pulled off a couple of vital saves to remind the Rossoneri faithful why they shouldn’t moan over Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure in the summer.
Alessandro Florenzi (5)
The Roma loanee barely had any influence on the game in the attacking sense, though he did well keeping Matheus Henrique quiet on the right-hand side. He and Saelemaekers failed to produce anything meaningful on the opposition half before half-time.
Pietro Pellegri took his post in the 69th minute as part of Pioli’s efforts to reduce the gap.
Simon Kjaer (6)
Milan’s defensive cornerstone barely put his foot wrong throughout the match. Sadly, though, an unfortunate own goal that helped Sassuolo turn the game on its head in the first half cast shadow on his otherwise rock-solid showing at the back.
He came close to scoring in the 68th minute, but his header went agonizingly wide of the far post.
Alessio Romagnoli (4)
It’s a bit awkward to judge a defender when he concedes three times against a below-par opposition, but the captain put on another lackluster display in spite of an early goal. Caught out of position several times, the left-footed center-half showed why Fikayo Tomori is Pioli’s first-choice partner to Kjaer.
After Domenico Berardi broke his spine for Sassuolo’s third, he took one for the team, tackling Gregoire Defrel down for a straight red in the 76th minute.
Theo Hernandez (5.5)
Another electric performance from the lightning-fast left-back required a bit more composure in the dangerous area. Theo’s bursting runs down the left flank often brought him in promising positions, but a lack of the finishing touch often frustrated the newly-introduced French international.
Picked up the booking in a desperate attempt to prevent Sassuolo’s quick counter early in the second half.
Ismael Bennacer (5)
It wasn’t the best of performance from Milan’s deep-lying playmaker by any stretch of the imagination, with the Algerian gifting the ball away on too many occasions. Tenacity and energy were there, but sold-out San Siro hoped for a more inspiring showing from one of Pioli’s most technically gifted midfielders.
Left the pitch in favor of Sandro Tonali midway through the second half.
Tiémoué Bakayoko (4.5)
The energetic box-to-box midfielder enjoyed a stellar opening to the game, almost breaking the deadlock with a well-driven effort from outside the box within five minutes. However, the Frenchman fell off the pace as the first half progressed, as Scamacca brutally punished his wayward pass from the back to draw Sassuolo level.
Pioli unsurprisingly subbed him off at half-time.
Brahim Diaz (4)
The diminutive playmaker failed to cope with the physicality of Sassuolo’s midfielders in the first half, having been tackled to the ground too many times. After a thoroughly disappointing first half, the Spaniard surrendered his place to Junior Messias at half-time.
Alexis Saelemaekers (4)
The Belgian winger barely touched the ball inside the first 45 minutes, struggling to impact the game from the right-hand side. His misplaced back pass midway through the first half nearly led to Sassuolo’s goal, while he never really managed to put Kyriakopoulos to the test.
It feels like Pierre Kalulu should’ve replaced him earlier.
Rafael Leao (6)
A rare shining light in an otherwise underwhelming game for Milan, the Portuguese youngster was a true force to be reckoned with going forward. But despite his dazzling dribbles and darting runs past the opposition guards, the 22-year-old often lacked the final pass to unlock Sassuolo’s well-disciplined backline.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (5)
Not exactly the kind of afternoon the Swede was hoping for, but Sassuolo defenders made sure to keep the Milan danger man at bay. The veteran striker was caught offside more often than he would’ve wanted, without attempting a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes.
Substitutes
Frank Kessié (4)
Despite his combative performance, the highlight of his second-half introduction was a reckless piece of possession that led to Sassuolo’s third. If it wasn’t for his sloppy mistake, the match could’ve panned out differently for the hosts.
Junior Messias (5.5)
Not the kind of impact he had against Atletico Madrid in midweek, but the Brazilian forward once again put on an eye-catching display, using his unparalleled technique to keep the ball and bring other teammates into play. Unfortunately, to no avail.
Sandro Tonali (5)
The midfield metronome had no time to change things around as he joined the fray a bit too late, which didn’t prevent him to earn a yellow card for tripping Raspadori from behind.
Pietro Pellegri – N/A
Pierre Kalulu – N/A
Sassuolo
Andrea Consigli (5.5)
There’s a feeling he could’ve done more to stop Alessio Romagnoli’s opener as he was beaten on the near post, but overall, another solid display from the Sassuolo stalwart.
Mert Muldur (5.5)
Forced to battle Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao on his right-hand side, the Turk naturally opted for a more conservative approach, barely venturing forward. However, he was exceptional when it comes to hindering Milan’s attempts to breach through from the left.
Kaan Ayhan (6.5)
When you keep the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet for 90 minutes, you deserve the highest grade. The 27-year-old Turkish international demonstrated why he was once considered one of the most talented young defenders in European football.
Gian Marco Ferrari (6.5)
Alongside his younger partner, the Italian journeyman forged a stronghold in front of Andrea Consigli, making the visiting fans forget about Sassuolo’s recent defensive woes. An utterly top-class performance from the experienced defender should encourage Sassuolo moving forward.
Giorgos Kyriakopoulos (5.5)
The Greek left-back made light work of Saelemaekers, keeping the Belgian winger in his back pocket for most of the game. Though he struggled to impact the game in the opposition half, his defensive performance was on point.
Maxime Lopez (6.5)
The ex-Marseille man bossed the midfield with plenty of running, well-timed tackles, and pinpoint passing. The 23-year-old did what the Milan faithful hoped to see from Ismael Bennacer, keeping his Sassuolo side ticking over under pressure while winning countless 50-50 challenges in the middle of the park.
Davide Frattesi (6.5)
Same as the Frenchman, he was too hot to handle for the Milan underperforming midfielders, opening spaces for his teammates while retaining possession under pressure. Another top-notch Italian talent coming through the ranks, the 22-year-old may soon stake his claim for a place in the national team if he keeps this level of performance week in, week out.
Matheus Henrique (5.5)
A rare start for the Brazilian saw him struggle against Alessandro Florenzi in the early stages but picked up steam as the game progressed. Often dropping back to help in the build-up, he provided safety and precision as Sassuolo outclassed the Rossoneri in the center of the park.
Domenico Berardi (7)
Though he was kept quiet for most of the afternoon, his breathtaking skill to get off the mark in the 66th minute will surely make the headlines in the coming days. The Italian forward sent Romagnoli back to the academy ranks with outstanding dribbling before smashing the ball past Mike Maignan.
Giacomo Raspadori (5.5)
Perhaps the weakest link in Sassuolo’s otherwise feracious attacking line, the highly-rated youngster struggled for end-product despite enjoying plenty of the ball.
Gianluca Scamacca (7)
The up-and-coming Italian striker put his well-documented potential on full display at the San Siro. In addition to keeping Milan defenders busy for an hour, the ex-Genoa man scored one of the goals of the season, unleashing a thunderous strike from distance to level the score before forcing Kjaer’s own goal.
Subbed off for Gregoire Defrel just before the hour mark.
Substitutes
Gregoire Defrel (5.5)
He replaced Scamacca in the 59th minute and went on to draw Romagnoli’s red, effectively putting the game to bed.