Tuesday’s Serie A match at the Mapei Stadium ended in a dull 0-0 draw between a depleted Sassuolo team and Milan. The 6 game winning streak that the Rossoneri had against the Neroverdi was abruptly put to an end.
Milan got off to a fast start, combining well up front and producing a number of good half-chances. However, Sassuolo’s last-ditch defending and Stefano Pioli’s team’s appalling finishing kept the score unchanged in the first 20 minutes of action.
Giorgos Kyriakopoulos’ penalty-drawing play in the 23rd minute gave Alessio Dionisi’s undermanned team a chance to punish Milan for their wastefulness. Inside the Milan box, Alessandro Florenzi brought the left winger to the ground with a tackle that prompted refree to signal a penalty.
Domenico Berardi volunteered to take the penalty shot, but Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made an incredible flying save to stop the Italian forward. For the remainder of the opening period, neither team created any noteworthy chances in the attacking third.
After a 2-0 home victory over Bologna, Pioli rearranged the deck, but his risk didn’t pay off. Throughout the first 45 minutes, Diaz and Saelemaekers were absent, with the latter losing possession repeatedly.
Pobega, another newcomer who teamed up with Ismael Bennacer in a double-pivot, fell short of expectations. Just 10 minutes of the second half, Pioli brought on his heavy hitters, realizing his team was helpless.
Pioli tried to break the tie in the 57th minute by bringing on De Ketelaere, Messias, and Tonali. But Milan struggled to break down an impenetrable Sassuolo backline. Even though they had 62 percent of the ball possession in the second half, the defending Serie A champions failed to have a single clear shot on goal. Leao, in particular, was frustrated by Sassuolo’s continued obstinacy and underwhelming performance compared to other Milan forwards.
Although Milan kept their perfect record, failing to score for the first time in 2022–23 does not bode well for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Sassuolo should be content with a draw against the Rossoneri after losing star players Gianluca Scamacca and Giacomo Raspadori.
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