Milan was in poor form on Tuesday, scrapping its way to a 0-0 draw with Sassuolo. Neroverdi star and Italian international Domenico Berardi picked up an apparent hamstring injury in the affair, casting further doubt on Sassuolo’s poor start to the season. Quality performances were few and far between, with both sides combining for just five shots on goal.
Sassuolo
Andrea Consigli – 6
Milan did not challenge Consigli at all, as the goalkeeper needed to make just one save and one claim.
Jeremy Toljan – 5.5
Like many so many other full-backs in the Italian top flight, Toljan struggled against Leao in the channel. At times, the winger’s acceleration was just too much for the German, who also failed to add much to the attack.
Martin Erlic – 7
In just his third start for Sassuolo, Erlic showed great chemistry with Gian Marco Ferrrari while playing in the host’s compact defensive setup.
Gian Marco Ferrrari – 8
Sassuolo’s captain had a great night, using his physicality to his advantage against Olivier Giroud and Brahim Diaz. The Sassuolo backline allowed Milan few true attacking chances, and Ferrari played a huge role.
Rogerio – 7.5
The 24-year-old had a day on the left wing, defending well and joining the attack on occasion. Milan was unable to generate many attacking chances on the right and were considerably impacted by the defender.
Davide Frattesi – 5
From his reserved central midfield position, Frattesi did not do much for his side. He played deep and helped reinforce the backline, but he managed only 18 touches during his time on the pitch.
Maxime Lopez – 7
The Frenchman was frequently in possession for Sassuolo and was significant reason the Neroverdi were able to salvage a point.
Kristian Thorstvedt – 5
With a passing completion rate of just 60%, Thorstvedt struggled to influence the match. He left the match in the 69th minute after a forgettable performance.
Domenico Berardi – 6.5
Other than his poor penalty attempt, Berardi was in his usual dangerous form. From the right wing, he generated most of Sassuolo’s genuine chances, but he was taken off with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half.
Giorgos Kyriakopoulos – 7
Despite playing out of his typical position, the Greek midfielder played a solid game. He created the first-half penalty with some tricky footwork, and he was one of Sassuolo’s only attacking threats.
Andrea Pinamonti – 5
The Inter loanee was clearly out of his depth against Tomori and Kjaer. He looked decent when he was able to get onto the ball in wide areas of the pitch, but his play in the centre was subpar, as he did not manage a single shot on target.
Substitutes
Gregoire Defrel – 5
While taking over for Berardi on the right wing, Defrel looked lost at times and was not at his best.
Mattheus Henrique – N/A
Abdou Harroui – N/A
Augustin Alvarez – N/A
Riccardo Marchizza – N/A
Comeback for Simon Kjær with 80 minutes for #ACMilan and a clean sheet away vs Sassuolo.@simonkjaer1989 has #Milan's best "successful passing percentage" with 89% including some trademark diagonals. (via @WhoScored) #SassuoloMilan #SempreMilan https://t.co/UoVRPE7opt
— Lars Hendel (@larshendel) August 30, 2022
Milan
Mike Maignan – 7.5
The reigning Serie A Best Goalkeeper made a great save on a Berardi penalty kick. The Sassuolo man did not make his best attempt, but Maignan’s quick reflexes ultimately salvaged a point for the visitors.
Alessio Florenzi – 5
Florenzi and Saelemaekers were less than inspiring on the right wing. In the first half, the wing-back made a number of poor turnovers and combined with the Belgian to commit a foul in the box.
Simon Kjaer – 7
Finally returning from his lengthy absence, Kjaer quickly found his footing. He looked confident in possession and defended impressively against Pinamonti.
Fikayo Tomori – 6.5
At times, Tomori was shaky on the backline, taking a few uncertain touches and not distributing the ball well. However, he and Kjaer played well together and greatly restricted the Sassuolo attack.
Theo Hernandez – 6
Hernandez played a fairly advanced role, but he was unable to do on much the offensive side of the ball. However, he defended well, making a crucial interception to halt a counter attack late in the match.
Ismael Bennacer – 6.5
While he made a few clumsy fouls, Bennacer was Milan’s best midfielder, playing a deeper role and facilitating play from the back.
Tommaso Pobega – 5.5
In his first ever start for Milan, Pobega had an up-and-down match. He was influential early in the first half, making plays in the attacking third, but his presence was not at all consistent.
Brahim Diaz – 5
Brahim was yet another Milan player who had a less-than-impressive match. The Spaniard was quite poor in the opposition’s half, with his final passes and shots leaving a lot to be desired. He will need to improve substantially to win playing time over Charles De Ketelaere, who replaced him in the 57th minute.
Rafael Leao – 5.5
Leao used his speed and skill to generate several chances, but his finishing was not at its best.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 5.5
After a poor first half, Saelemaekers began playing much more centrally in the second 45 minutes. The tactical shift allowed him to play between the lines and use his pace on the counter attack, and the Belgian became much more effective. However, Stefano Pioli removed the winger just ten minutes into the second half, leaving the performance a disappointment.
Olivier Giroud – 4.5
With Ante Rebic and Divock Origi sidelined with injuries, the 35-year-old was forced to make his second start in four days. The striker’s lack of fitness was apparent, as he struggled to add anything to the Rossoneri offense.
Substitutes
Charles De Ketelaere – 5
The Belgian clearly needs to adjust to the physicality of the Serie A, as he went down multiple times far too easily.
Sandro Tonali – 5
In 30 minutes, Tonali managed just ten touches and did nothing of note.
Junior Messias – 4.5
Like the other two early substitutions, Messias did not do much to change Milan’s fortunes after coming on.