Serie A | Sassuolo 1-1 Udinese: Stalemate suits nobody

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·1 April 2024

Serie A | Sassuolo 1-1 Udinese: Stalemate suits nobody

Florian Thauvin cancelled out the Gregoire Defrel opener, leaving both Sassuolo and Udinese still battling against relegation.

The Neroverdi were in crisis and dropped into penultimate place, but were still only four points behind Udinese, as the relegation battle is extremely tight this season. Martin Erlic was suspended for the hosts, with Domenico Berardi out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, while Gerard Deulofeu and Enzo Ebosse were the only remaining long-term absentees for the Friulani.

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The hosts had a huge early double opportunity, as first Maduka Okoye at full stretch fingertipped the Armand Lauriente angled drive away, then Andrea Pinamonti prodded the rebound wide.

Sandi Lovric scuffed the finish straight at the goalkeeper and Ruan Tressoldi made a decisive block on Lorenzo Lucca’s effort in the box.

Tressoldi was even more crucial moments later, getting back to make a goal-line clearance after Lucca had flicked the ball beyond on-rushing Andrea Consigli.

Jaka Bijol ran the very real risk of a second yellow card for a shirt-tug on Pinamonti, but Sassuolo took the lead moments later when Matheus Henrique’s pass split the defence in two and Gregoire Defrel took his time to draw out the goalkeeper before flicking it over him into the empty net.

It did not last long, as Udinese equalised before half-time when Florian Thauvin’s back-heel flick sent Roberto Pereyra down the right, then was ready to meet the pull-back from the by-line, tapping into the roof of the net from six yards.

After the restart, Lovric again drilled wide and Pinamonti almost surprised Okoye with a shot that needed two attempts to take the sting out.

Lovric was unlucky to smash the underside of the crossbar with a ferocious half-volley, as it bounced back out.

Pinamonti then wasted a promising cross with a glancing header off target from six yards, as neither side will be happy with a point apiece.