Milan suffered their second successive league defeat as Sassuolo beat them 3-1 at the San Siro. The Rossoneri started the match well and opened the scoring through thanks to a header from their captain Alessio Romagnoli.
However, Sassuolo fought back instantly and equalized through a thunderous right-footed strike from Gianluca Scamacca. The 22-year-old was involved in the Neroverdi’s second goal as his shot was deflected in the back of the net by Simon Kjaer.
Milan tried to fight back in the second half but Sassuolo kept keeping them at bay. Domenico Berardi put the game to bed by scoring his team’s third of the game shortly after the hour-mark.
To make matters worse, Romagnoli was sent off, reducing Milan to ten men. Their aggression died down slowly and Sassuolo eventually held on to their lead to win.
With the defeat, the Rossoneri are now just one point above Inter in the Serie A standings.
Ibrahimovic Back, Bakayoko Makes First Start
Pioli made five changes from Milan’s win at the Wanda Metropolitano. Alessandro Florenzi started instead of Pierre Kalulu while Tiémoué Bakayoko partnered Ismael Bennacer in midfield, replacing Franck Kessié and Sandro Tonali. The former Monaco man was making his first start of the season.
Rafael Leao replaced Rade Krunic on the left wing while Zlatan Ibrahimovic started upfront at the expense of Olivier Giroud.
Alessio Dionisi made three changes from Sassuolo’s draw to Cagliari last weekend; Mert Muldur and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos were the starting full-backs, replacing Jeremy Tojlann and Rogerio. In midfield, Matheus Henrique was in the playing XI for the very first time, replacing Hamed Traore.
Sassuolo Come from Behind to Go 2-1 Up
Milan were on the attack from the very first minute and kept the Sassuolo backline busy. Bakayoko took the first shot of the match, from distance. It was struck well but wide off the bottom right corner.
Sassuolo were not keen on sitting back and defending and they had a chance to break on the counter-attack. Maxime Lopez made a good run but Simon Kjaer was there to intercept his pass and deflect it for a corner. Gianluca Scamacca tried to take a shot from a very tight angle but was unable to find the net.
The Rossoneri eventually opened the scoring through their captain Romagnoli, who headed Theo Hernandez’s brilliant cross in the back of the net. This was the center-back’s very first goal of the season.
However, it didn’t take long for Sassuolo to equalize, thanks to a screamer from Scamacca, who netted his fourth of 2021/22. The goal got the Neroverdi fired up and they started keeping the Milan backline for a few minutes.
They took the lead shortly after the half-hour mark and it was an own goal from Kjaer who deflected Scamacca’s shot in the back of the net. Sassuolo continued to cause Milan trouble and Giacomo Raspadori tried to make it 3-1 but his shot was blocked by Mike Maignan.
Milan tried to level the scores before half-time but the opposition backline was rigid enough to prevent that from happening.
Berardi Puts the Match Beyond Rossoneri’s Reach
Milan made a couple of changes at the interval with Franck Kessié and Junior Messias coming on for Bakayoko and Brahim Diaz respectively. The Rossoneri were keen on finding an equalizer and started the second half well. Leao had a decent chance to find the net but his shot was wide off the far post.
The substitutions seemed to work for Milan as they looked in control but the goal was still eluding them. The Rossoneri’s chances of getting something from the game got slimmer after Berardi extended Sassuolo’s lead through a fine right-footed shot.
Milan’s Champions League hero Messias tried to pull one back for them but Andrea Consigli made a fine save to deny him. Things went from bad to worse for the Rossoneri as they were reduced to ten men. Romagnoli’s cynical foul on Gregoire Defrel saw him receive a straight red card.
Milan’s tempo decreased significantly during the final few minutes but they continued to create chances. However, Sassuolo’s backline was well-organized to foil them and they bagged all three points.
What Next for Milan and Sassuolo
Next up for Milan is a trip to Genoa for their fixture against them on Wednesday while Sassuolo host Napoli at the very same time.
MATCH SCORECARD
November 28, 2021 – Serie A 2021-22 Round 14
MILAN – SASSUOLO 1-3
SCORERS: 21′ Romagnoli (M), 24′ Scamacca (S), 33′ Kjaer (M, o.g.), 66′ Berardi (S)
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MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Florenzi (69′ Pellegri), Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Bakayoko (46′ Kessie), Bennacer (60′ Tonali); Saelemakers (81′ Kalulu), Brahim Diaz (46′ Messias), Rafael Leao; Ibrahimovic (Tatarusanu, Ballo-Touré, Conti, Maldini, Krunic, Gabbia, Mirante); Coach: Pioli |
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SASSUOLO (4-3-3): Consigli; Muldur, Ayhan, Ferrari, Kyriakopoulos; Frattesi (80′ Harroui), Lopez, Henrique (80′ Toljan); Berardi (80′ Traore), Scamacca (59′ Defrel), Raspadori (89′ Chiriches) (Pegolo, Magnanelli, Rogerio, Peluso, Satalino); Coach: Dionisi |
REFEREE: Mr. Manganiello from Pinerolo
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Lopez (S), Raspadori (S), Bennacer (M), Hernandez (M), Tonali (M) Kjaer (M),; Red Card: Romagnoli (M); Added Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 4′