Milan 2-2 Sassuolo: Bartesaghi shines the pitch with two brilliant goals

The match between Milan and Sassuolo is over. The rising star Davide Bartesaghi scored two goals, with Kone and Lauriente brought the score level. 

Match Report

AC Milan threw away more valuable points on Sunday afternoon as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sassuolo at San Siro.

Things started terribly for Milan as Ismael Kone put the away side into the lead, but a Davide Bartesaghi brace turned the game on its head and looked to have the Rossoneri heading towards securing top spot for another week.

However, Armand Lauriente came off the bench to equalise inside the final 20 minutes and the points were shared. It is yet another frustrating result for Milan, after previously dropping points to Cremonese, Parma and Pisa.

Massimiliano Allegri made one change to the starting line-up from the team that came from two goals down to beat Torino on Monday night, with Rafael Leao missing out due to the injury he picked up in the first half.

Milan started the game on the front foot and pressed high up the field, but Alexis Saelemaekers was guilty of being a bit over-enthusiastic with his first challenge of the game, scything down Muharemovic as he tried to play out and earning a yellow card.

Sassuolo took the lead inside the 13th minute with what was their first moment of danger. It was a goal of real quality from Kone who – after a give-and-go on the edge of the box – surged past Matteo Gabbia and lifted the ball over Mike Maignan from a narrow angle.

The first yellow cards of the game came around the midway point of the first half. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was booked for a challenge on Matic, while Fadera was given a yellow card for bringing down Strahinja Pavlovic in open play.

Milan really should have got themselves back level just before the half-hour mark when Adrien Rabiot successfully won the ball back off his man right on the edge of the Sassuolo box, taking a touch to set himself up but shooting straight at Muric. He then had a follow-up attempt after Christopher Nkunku had squared to him, but the offside flag went up.

In the 34th minute, Milan got themselves level and it was a special moment for Davide Bartesaghi, who got his first ever goal for the senior side. The feed came from Loftus-Cheek, who hit a low cross-shot that fizzed across the edge of the six-yard box, and the wing-back arrived at the far post to fire into almost an empty net.

Within two minutes of the restart, Milan went ahead and it was Bartesaghi who got his second of the afternoon. Rabiot fired the ball into Christopher Nkunku, who laid it off to the wing-back as he made a run into the box. The shot was aimed at the near post rather than across goal, and it snuck in thanks to a very precise finish.

There was a moment of panic when Matteo Gabbia appeared to jam his knee when making a defensive intervention and went down in pain. He managed to play on for a few minutes before being replaced by Koni De Winter.

Milan thought that they had made it 3-1 just a few minutes before the hour mark when Strahinja Pavlovic rose highest to head towards the far corner and Pulisic bundled in the rebound, however it was disallowed for an apparent push in the build-up.

The Rossoneri had the ball in the back of the net once again when Rabiot poked in from just a couple of yards out, though the offside flag went up and – after a lengthy VAR review – the decision was upheld. There were question marks about whether the ball was going in anyway and if the Frenchman needed to add a touch.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

10' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

13' GOAL! Milan 0-1 Sassuolo (Ismaël Koné)

16' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

29' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

34' GOAL! Milan 1-1 Sassuolo (Davide Bartesaghi)

44' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

47' GOAL! Milan 2-1 Sassuolo (Davide Bartesaghi)

57' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

68' Highlight from Milan vs Sassuolo

77' GOAL! Milan 2-2 Sassuolo (Armand Laurienté)

89' Match Event for Milan vs Sassuolo

Line-ups

Milan XI: Modric, Maignan, Rabiot, Loftus-Cheek, Tomori, Nkunku, Pulisic, Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers, S. Pavlovic, Davide Bartesaghi

Subs: Pietro Terracciano, Pervis Estupiñán, Samuele Ricci, Ardon Jashari, Koni De Winter, D. Odogu, Zachary Athekame, Matteo Pittarella

Sassuolo XI: Matic, Pinamonti, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Arijanet Murić, Fali Candé, Kristian Thorstvedt, Jay Idzes, Alieu Fadera, Cristian Volpato, Tarik Muharemović, Ismaël Koné

Subs: N.Pierini, Giacomo Satalino, Armand Laurienté, Woyo Coulibaly, Aster Vranckx, Josh Doig, Walid Cheddira, Cas Odenthal, Gioele Zacchi, Edoardo Iannoni, Luca Lipani, Luca Moro