Sassuolo vs Milan: A Tale of Two Halves
A tale of two halves unfolded at the Mapei Stadium on Sunday afternoon as Sassuolo stunned AC Milan with a 3-0 victory.
In the first half, Milan were in control. They dominated possession and created several chances, but failed to find the breakthrough. Sassuolo, on the other hand, were content to sit back and defend, looking to hit their opponents on the counterattack.
However, after the break, things changed dramatically. Sassuolo came out with renewed determination and began to take control of the game. They pressed Milan high up the pitch and forced them into errors. The hosts took the lead midway through the second half when Domenico Berardi fired home from close range.
Milan were unable to respond and Sassuolo continued to press. They doubled their lead 15 minutes from time when Hamed Traore scored a stunning goal from outside the box. Andrea Pinamonti added a third in the dying minutes to seal a famous victory for the Neroverdi.
The result was a major upset and ended Milan's unbeaten start to the season. It also raised questions about the team's ability to compete for the title.
For Sassuolo, the victory was a much-needed boost and moved them up to 10th in the table. They will now be looking to build on this result and push for a top-half finish.
What went wrong for Milan?
There were a number of factors that contributed to Milan's defeat.
- They were slow and sluggish in the first half and failed to create any clear-cut chances.
- They were unable to deal with Sassuolo's pressing in the second half and made several errors that led to goals.
- They lacked creativity in attack and were unable to find a way through the Sassuolo defense.
The defeat was a major setback for Milan and they will need to respond quickly if they want to stay in the title race.
What next for Sassuolo?
Sassuolo's victory over Milan has given them a major boost and they will now be looking to build on this result and push for a top-half finish.
They have a number of talented players in their squad and will be hoping to make their mark on the Serie A this season.