The referee blows his whistle for the final time tonight instead of allowing a Sassuolo throw-in at midfield after the three added minutes expired.
90' +1
Rogerio gives away a free-kick in the Milan half after pushing Abate during a duel for the ball. Very unwise from the substitute who allows the home side to clear their area with a Donnarumma free-kick. Time is running out and even with more of the eleven joining the attack, Sassuolo are thoroughly unable to keep possession or strike at goal. Very disappointing display by the home side tonight.
90'
Alessandro Matri receives the ball from Falcinelli and enters the penalty area with some danger, but the referee is quick to blow play dead for offside.
89'
S. Missiroli gets yellow.
Simone Missiroli is given a late yellow card by the referee after a rash challenge on Ignazio Abate.
87'
STAT: Sassuolo have been kept scoreless in 5 out of their 11 Serie A games this season – with four of those blanks coming at the MAPEI.
84'
Rogério enters the game and replaces M. Politano.
Rogerio enters the match with less than 10 minutes to play in the place of Matteo Politano.
82'
L. Antonelli enters the game and replaces F. Borini.
Montella's final substitution is a change which sees Fabio Borini exit the match for Luca Antonelli.
81'
Politano gets the ball in the penalty area and takes on Romagnoli. The Italian defender gives him no ground and Sassuolo’s goal scoring leader sends a chip into the area but Borini is there and heads the ball back to the grateful arms of Donnarumma. Another attack fizzles out for the home team.
78'
Sassuolo are currently on the ball looking to cut the deficit in half but the Neroverdi have rarely looked like scoring tonight and with roughly fifteen minutes left, they are running out of time and energy. Milan are no strangers to conceding late, but the defence has displayed organization tonight and have flustered the impotent Sassuolo attack.
75'
STAT: Sassuolo have not scored a goal after the 60th minute this season.
Minute
Description
73'
Milan look happy with the score line and are just settling down play at the moment, knocking it around in midfield and defence. A clean sheet and a victory would make for a successful away trip and with pressure on Montella high before tonight’s match, Milan will look to hold what they have.
70'
N. Pierini enters the game and replaces A. Ragusa.
Cristian Bucchi makes an immediate substitution after going 2-0 down, as Nicholas Pierini takes the place of Antonio Ragusa.
67'
Suso has scored a goal for AC Milan! Assist by F. Borini.
The assist goes to Fabio Borini whose long-ball to Suso was the catalyst for the goal.
FANTASTIC BY SUSO TO MAKE IT 2-0! Fabio Borini’s ball over the top falls perfectly for Suso on the right wing and the Spaniard quickly collects and drives towards goal. He enters the penalty area and unleashes a powerful strike which Consigli’s hand was never going to stop.
66'
STAT: Manuel Locatelli’s first ever Serie A goal came against Sassuolo last October.
64'
M. Locatelli enters the game and replaces H. Çalhanoğlu.
R. Montolivo gets yellow.
Montolivo receives a yellow card from the referee after his high boot made contact with Falcinelli.
Montella's second substitution is in the midfield, where Manuel Locatelli will replace Hakan Calhanoglu.
63'
Kessie takes the ball at midfield and runs the length of the Sassuolo half and enters the box where he takes a powerful strike which Consigli did equally well to save. The goalkeeper put himself at full stretch and gets a fingertip to it to keep the score at 1-0.
61'
Appeals for a Milan penalty area quickly waved away. Borini is complaining that Ragusa used unnecessary force to shove him off the ball in the area but the referee did not give a second look before denying the Rossoneri claims.
59'
Kessie turns away from his marker very well on the edge of the area and makes a yard of space for himself to try a strike but his shot is deflected by Mazzitelli. The sting is taken out of the shot and Consigli collects easily.
57'
Politano takes the free-kick but Donnarumma quickly punches away the danger. The threat is not yet cleared as Kalinic, in an attempt to counter, brings down a Sassuolo player on the far touchline. The free-kick is an in-swinger but the referee stops play for an offside. Yet another set-piece goes begging for Sassuolo who have not helped themselves with their poor deliveries.
55'
L. Bonucci gets yellow.
A. Matri enters the game and replaces F. Cassata.
Bonucci is given a yellow card for bringing down Falcinelli just outside of the Milan penalty area.
Cristian Bucchi makes his first switch of the game, taking out Cassata for former Milan striker Alessandro Matri.
53'
Calhanoglu beautifully switches play to the right flank where a bit of give and go between Abate and Suso ends with a pull-back in the area but no Milan striker was in position to get a shot away. The final product may not be there, but the build-up play is certainly encouraging for the away fans.
52'
Suso, on his weaker foot, attempts to take on the Sassuolo defence and put in a cross instead of attempt a shot but his endeavour is rewarded with a corner kick. Suso passes the set-piece to Calhanoglu whose back-post cross is quickly collected by Consligi.
50'
Milan give away a free-kick as Kalinic brings down Acerbi who was looking to clear the danger just outside his penalty area. That is lazy closing down from the Croatian forward and he is rightfully called for it by the referee.
47'
Milan are starting this second period on the front foot with Kessie sneaking into the penalty area and taking a quick shot low at Consigli. The Italian goalkeeper does well to get down and hold onto the ball.
45' +3
A. Romagnoli gets yellow.
F. Acerbi gets yellow.
Romagnoli is given a yellow card after the referee deems that he threw himself to the ground in an attempted dive during a Sassuolo corner.
Acerbi is also given a yellow card for his part in the fracas with Romagnoli.
The corner runs all the way through the area untouched and exits for a goal-kick. Before Donnarumma is allowed to take it however, the referee blows his whistle for half-time.
45' +2
Ragusa enters the area with pace but the Milan centre-backs clear the initial danger. The ball falls again in the area for Missiroli but Bonucci comes across quickly with a sliding challenge to put the ball out for a corner-kick.
45'
The teams are ready to get the second half underway with Milan kicking off.
44'
STAT: These two sides have faced 9 times previous and have never drawn. In those matches, both Sassuolo and Milan have scored 17 and conceded 17. Milan have the edge, winning 5 games to Sassuolo’s 4.
41'
Milan have another corner here which is passed short to Montolivo. He quickly chips the ball into the area but nobody was able to meet it in the air and it funnelled through to the other side untouched.
39'
A. Romagnoli has scored a goal for AC Milan!
Calhanoglu who took the corner-kick will be credited with the assist.
HOW DID HE NOT SCORE?! Franck Kessie makes a fabulous run down the right and crossed it in for Kalinic who is left completely alone in the box. Consigli responds with a brilliant point-blank save on the Croatian and the balls ends up out for a corner-kick. Incredible scenes!
MILAN SCORE FROM THE CORNER! Protestations are coming from the home side who feel as though Romagnoli fouled Consigli in the build-up but the referee has decided to allow it! The Sassuolo goalkeeper comes out of his net but put forth a weak attempt at a fisted punch but Romagnoli rises higher and gets a head to it. It is true that the bodies of the two involved did make contact, but a foul decision on the centre-back would be harsh. 1-0 to Milan as the goal stands!
38'
A great strike by Fabio Borini forced a big punch from Consigli. The wing-back cut inside and took the shot from outside the area. It was a good attempt and one of only a few strikes on target from either side today. Worth a try in the context of this game certainly.
36'
Montolivo is given a talking to as his very high boot made contact with a Sassuolo player. Acerbi, the former Milan centre-back stands over the free-kick but instead of a dangerous delivery into the box he just turns around and passes it backwards. It has been that kind of game so far.
34'
Milan pass the ball all the way back to Donnarumma as Sassuolo remained organized in defence and gave the Milan playmakers no options. Even with Calhanoglu and Suso, Montella’s side look bereft of ideas and short of confidence. They have had no real attacking chances of note and have spent most of their day knocking the ball about in midfield.
31'
Milan take a very well-worked corner as Suso passed it off to Calhanoglu who promptly centred the ball for a strike on the edge of the box which was taken with power – but blocked by the disciplined home defence.
29'
Franck Kessie gets called for a foul in the midfield after a beautiful give and go involving Antonio Ragusa. The Ivorian stuck a leg in to win possession but made contact with the player first. The free-kick is exceptionally poor and had no chance of beating the first man who was stationed in front of the penalty area.
27'
Play is halted as Missiroli runs into Donnarumma as the goalkeeper went up for a clearing punch. The referee has given Milan a free-kick inside the box. A wasted chance for the Neroverdi who have not had much in the way of attacking play so far.
25'
Bonucci pushes Falcinelli who was marking him right on the touchline just in front of the penalty area. This is the perfect area for an in-swinging free-kick and the home side will need to take advantage.
23'
Calhanoglu wins a free-kick after battling at midfield against Cannavaro who captains Sassuolo. Franck Kessie repays the favour by dragging down Cassata during a tussle on the right wing and Consigli will take the kick as he puts it deep into Milan territory.
20'
Milan are pinning Sassuolo in their own area and have won back possession after a hopeful Cannavaro clearance. Calhanoglu fashioned some space from the top-left of the box but Consigli once again does well to get down and make a good stop, holding onto the ball so as to not allow a potential rebound.
17'
Cassata’s corner deflects off the first man and a shot from outside of the box curls away from Donnarumma’s goal - never troubling the young keeper. It’s still 0-0.
15'
Mazzitelli gets free in the box and forces Donnarumma to get low and make a great save. The following corner is punched by Donnarumma but eventually put out for a second corner.
14'
I. Abate enters the game and replaces D. Calabria.
Confirmation of the substitution which sees the experienced Ignazio Abate replace the injured Davide Calabria.
13'
Davide Calabria is calling for a substitution as the ankle injury proved too painful for the youngster to continue playing. Abate is receiving some information on the sideline and will enter the fray within 15 minutes of the start of the match.
11'
Montolivo tries to switch the play to the right flank but his cross is skewed horribly and went out for a Sassuolo throw-in at the halfway line. A high Milan press is successful and the Rossoneri promptly win back possession.
9'
Davide Calabria has stayed down after sliding to keep a through ball in play. The wet surface certainly does not help and the young Italian wing-back is currently receiving treatment on his ankle. Montella will hope he doesn’t have to use an early substitution but he does have a ready replacement available on the bench in the form of Ignazio Abate.
7'
Very sloppy by Sassuolo who finally regain possession from Milan but promptly give it right back to the away side, then commit a second foul on Suso.
5'
The match has started at break-neck speed. Both sides seem to want to establish dominance very early and are doing so with quick counter-attacks and wing play. It remains to be seen whether or not this pace can be sustained, but it will surely provide some early entertainment.
2'
Suso wins an early free-kick outside the Sassuolo penalty area after being dragged down by Cassata.
Calhanoglu strikes it well with his right boot but Consigli makes a great diving save. The ensuing corner is cleared away but only after play is stopped for a Sassuolo free-kick.
1'
Sassuolo get us underway in rainy conditions attacking from right to left.
Good evening and welcome to the MAPEI Stadium in Reggio nell’Emilia for our live text commentary of the Serie A match between Sassuolo and Milan.
The hosts have been stuck in a bit of a rut lately, managing only four points in their last six matches. A tumultuous summer in which their manager Eusebio Di Francesco was poached by Roma has given way to a poor start to their domestic campaign. Last year, in their fourth season in the Serie A, the Neroverdi qualified for the Europa League – this year they are currently two points away from the relegation zone.
An inability to score has been their chief source of concern, with only rock-bottom Benevento scoring less. Matteo Politano has been a mainstay in Cristian Bucchi’s side and currently leads the team with two goals.
Scoring has not been straightforward for the visitors either. A 4-1 thrashing of Chievo on the 25th of October is as good as it gets for the Rossoneri, who have not scored in the two matches since, and were not able to score in the two matches prior to that victory in Verona. A midweek draw against AEK Athens in the Europa League heaped more pressure onto coach Vincenzo Montella whose place at the club is looking more and more in doubt. Milan currently sit in eighth place, but a win against their opponents tonight would see them jump ahead of Torino and into seventh place.
Suso is definitely the man to watch for Milan in this contest. The former Liverpool youth leads the Rossoneri in goals (4) as well as assists (3) and livened up an otherwise drab and dull midweek game in Athens.
Sassuolo Starting XI (4-3-3) Andrea Consigli; Federico Peluso, Francesco Acerbi, Paolo Cannavaro, Marcello Gazzola; Francesco Cassata, Simone Missiroli, Luca Mazzitelli; Antonio Ragusa, Diego Falcinelli, Matteo Politano.
With fifteen minutes before kick-off, the team news has been announced. Let's start with the home side.
Sassuolo Substitutes: Leonardo Marson, Gianluca Pegolo, Francesco Magnanelli, Davide Biondini, Alessandro Matri, Stefano Sensi, Gianluca Scamacca, Nicholas Pierini, Pol Lirola, Rogerio.
Milan substitutes: Antonio Donnarumma, Marco Storari, Ignazio Abate, Luca Antonelli, Gustavo Gomez, Mateo Musacchio, Gabriel Paletta, Manuel Locatelli, Jose Mauri, Patrick Cutrone, Andre Silva.
Milan Starting XI (3-5-2): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Cristian Zapata, Leonardo Bonucci, Alessio Romagnoli; Davide Calabria, Franck Yannick Kessie, Hakan Calhanoglu, Riccardo Montolivo, Fabio Borini; Suso, Nikola Kalinic.
Cristian Bucchi only makes one change from the side that lost 3-1 against Serie A pace-setters Napoli. Stefano Sensi in central midfield will be replaced by the more experienced Simone Missiroli. He will be partnered on either side by Cassata and Mazzitelli and will look to pull the strings for the attacking trident of Antonio Ragusa, Diego Falcinelli and Matteo Politano.
Vincenzo Montella makes three changes from the eleven that lost 2-0 to Juventus a week ago. Leonardo Bonucci returns from suspension and will regain his place in central defence. Romagnoli will shift over and replace Ricardo Rodriguez whilst Zapata keeps his spot on the other side. Davide Calabria takes Ignazio Abate’s position at right wing-back and an injury to Lucas Biglia means veteran Riccardo Montolivo will partner Franck Yannick Kessie in central midfield. Calhanoglu will play again, but will take up a more central support role for Suso and Kalinic who will partner each other in attack.
FULL-TIME: Sassuolo 0 - 2 Milan
A first-half in which both sides exploded out the gate fizzled out quickly and a lack of confidence and quality from both sides has been extremely evident. Milan did grow into the half as time was running out as a fantastic Kalinic chance was saved well by Consigli, but the ensuing corner was turned into the net by Alessio Romagnoli for his first goal of the season. Milan did not have many quality chances before that, with speculative strikes by Borini and Calhanoglu from outside of the area being the only attempts on goal before the Kalinic header.
As for the home side, Cristian Bucchi made it a point in the pre-match to emphasize that his side should attack with pace and power and his side followed his instructions for the most part. In attack, Sassuolo were exceptionally quick, trying to catch Milan's defence out of position. Bucchi’s style of play caused some slight concerns, but the Neroverdi were kept to very few noteworthy opportunities. Mazziteli did force a good save from Donnarumma early in the half, but the young goalkeeper was left relatively unbothered. Sassuolo’s set-pieces have been poor and without a goal in the first-half and tired legs due to set in, it may get worse for the home side.
HALF-TIME: Sassuolo 0 - 1 Milan
The second half for Sassuolo very much mirrored the first 45. The Neroverdi barely troubled Donnarumma in the Milan goal and there were never periods of sustained pressure. Cristian Bucchi’s quick style of attacking in this match was unmaintainable and the introduction of Alessandro Matri in attack did little to scare Milan’s back-three. Another defeat for Sassuolo keeps them in 17th place, only two points off of the relegation zone.
Next up for Sassuolo after the international break is a trip to Benevento to face the last place side in the Serie A. Without a single point this season, Benevento should be ripe for the taking and Cristian Bucchi will look for his team to regain some much needed confidence. As for Milan, a much more difficult tie awaits them in a fortnight. Montella and his side travel south to the San Paolo to face Maurizio Sarri’s league leading Napoli.
Milan were able to add a second goal to the score line after a brilliant long-ball from Borini fell perfectly to the feet of Suso who cut inside and rifled a shot high into the net with Consigli unable to stop it with a flailing fist. Milan lacked inspiration and creativity for large parts of the first half, but with Sassuolo desperate for a goal and throwing more men forward, the Rossoneri were able to manipulate the space and create some decent chances. Franck Kessie did well in midfield, constantly turning away from his markers and spraying Consigli’s net with shots. This victory may not guarantee Montella his position for the rest of the season, but it certainly buys him some time. Milan currently occupy 7th place.
Thank you for following along and we hope you enjoyed our live text commentary of Sassuolo v Milan. See you all again next time!
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