Mueez Ajao
– AC Milan were humbled 5-2 at home by lowly Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday, suffering a fourth defeat in five matches to pile pressure on manager Stefano Pioli.
– Tempers flared throughout the match as frustrations grew, with 11 yellow cards shown, seven to Milan players and four to the visitors.
– The Italian champions are fourth in the standings with 38 points, one ahead of Lazio and Roma, who play later on Sunday. Sassuolo are 16th.
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– “I feel disappointment, but we don’t get far with disappointment,” Pioli told Sky Sport Italia.
– “Recent performances show we are struggling, this must push me to understand what situations need to be improved and dealt with differently.
– “Our Scudetto this season will be securing a Champions League place, that is the objective.”
– Olivier Giroud thought he had given Milan the lead in the eighth minute, but his celebrations were cut short after being ruled offside by VAR.
– Sassuolo’s first goal came against the run of play after 19 minutes when Domenico Berardi sent a cross into the box and an unmarked Gregoire Defrel tapped in.
– Davide Frattesi doubled the lead two minutes later when he hammered a low shot into the net.
– Giroud pulled one back for Milan in the 24th minute, heading Davide Calabria’s cross into the top corner, but Berardi quickly restored Sassuolo’s two-goal lead.
– Ante Rebic had a good chance to get a goal in first-half stoppage time, but Sassuolo keeper Andrea Consigli saved his volley.
– Milan’s woes continued in the second half when Armand Lauriente converted a penalty two minutes after the interval, and Matheus Henrique added the fifth 11 minutes from time.
– Milan had their second goal ruled offside by VAR in the 54th minute when a set piece found an unmarked Rebic inside the box, who tapped it in the net.
– Divock Origi grabbed Milan’s second goal with a well-placed strike from the edge of the box in the 81st minute.
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Ladies and gentlemen, this is #SerieA 🔥#MilanSassuolo pic.twitter.com/8h7TElqf8x
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 29, 2023
– Milan will face Inter in the Milan derby on Feb. 5.
– “We will make the best decisions to overcome this moment. Next week there’s the derby, we want to react and emerge from this negative situation,” Pioli said.
