Serie A | Sassuolo 3-3 Milan: Frustrating Rossoneri thriller | OneFootball

Milan came back from 3-1 down for a 3-3 Sassuolo draw with Noah Okafor’s equaliser, but saw two Samuel Chukwueze goals disallowed for millimetrical offsides.

The Rossoneri were still shaken by their 1-0 Europa League quarter-final home defeat to Roma and rested most of their stars ahead of the second leg on Thursday. Mike Maignan, Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega were also on the treatment table. The Neroverdi dropped to penultimate place despite back-to-back stalemates with Udinese and Salernitana, but missed Domenico Berardi, Marcus Pederson and former Milan winger Samu Castillejo.

The hosts took a surprise early lead with their first attack, as a Cristian Volpato cross from the right was flicked on by Kristian Thorstvedt for Andrea Pinamonti to smash in on the half-volley from 14 yards.

Theo Hernandez drilled across the face of goal after a probable foul on Yunus Musah inches outside the penalty area, while Jeremy Toljan limped off injured.

Sassuolo doubled their lead as Lauriente ran on to the Thorstvedt slide-rule pass and Marco Sportiello only managed to parry, allowing the striker to turn in the rebound from point-blank range.

Andrea Consigli made a big save from point-blank range on Malick Thiaw’s header from a corner, then Samuel Chukwueze had the ball in the net, but had wandered inches offside on the delayed Rafael Leao cross.

Milan did get one back moments later, as Leao slalomed between Ruan Tressoldi and Daniel Boloca, seemingly through a gap that wasn’t there, and bent the low finish into the far bottom corner from a tricky angle with his right foot.

Volpato tested Sportiello from distance and the goalkeeper was not pleased with a dreadful Rafael Leao back-pass, but Consigli needed a great double save on Alessandro Florenzi and Theo Hernandez scorchers at the near post.

Sassuolo added a third when Ruan Tressoldi robbed Yacine Adli, Gregoire Defrel’s slide-rule pass found Lauriente in far too much time and space to fire into the far bottom corner.

Lauriente’ really should’ve made it a hat-trick when on the counter-attack, but with several options, he completely misplaced the pass. It proved costly, as Milan immediately went up the other end and scored when Leao’s cross was palmed into the path of Luka Jovic to turn in from close range undisturbed.

Chukwueze had the ball in the net again on 63 minutes, but once more it was ruled millimetres offside for his shoulder. This time he had run onto an Alessandro Florenzi ball over the top and fired in off the inside of the far post from a tricky angle.

Malick Thiaw was booked for a high arm on Pinamonti and will be suspended for the Derby della Madonnina against Inter.

Christian Pulisic fired straight at Consigli from close range on an Adli pull-back from the by-line, with the siege paying off for the equaliser. Giroud and then Matteo Gabbia knocked on a corner for substitute Noah Okafor to volley in from six yards.

Giroud almost turned it around moments later, firing over while slipping from a deflected Pulisic pull-back, as Milan poured forward.

Match statistic

33

Possession %

67

10

Total shots

23

5

Shots on target

7

2

Shots off target

10

3

Blocked shots

6

2

Corners

6

Offsides

3

12

Fouls

9

Starting lineups

47

Andrea Consigli

Goalkeeper

13

Gian Marco Ferrari

Defender

22

Jeremy Toljan

Defender

9'

5

Martin Erlic

Defender

21

Mattia Viti

Defender

23

Cristian Volpato

Midfielder

46'

24

Daniel Boloca

Midfielder

77'

42

Kristian Thorstvedt

Midfielder

62'

14

Pedro Obiang

Midfielder

9

Andrea Pinamonti

Attacker

45

Armand Lauriente

Attacker

77'

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

42

Alessandro Florenzi

Defender

28

Malick Thiaw

Defender

24

Simon Kjaer

Defender

55'

19

Theo Hernández

Defender

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

55'

7

Yacine Adli

Midfielder

82'

80

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

55'

15

Luka Jovic

Attacker

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

21

Samuel Chukwueze

Attacker

65'

Substitutes

19

Marash Kumbulla

Defender

2

Filippo Missori

Defender

11

Nedim Bajrami

Midfielder

28

Alessio Cragno

Goalkeeper

25

Gianluca Pegolo

Goalkeeper

8

Samuele Mulattieri

Attacker

43

Josh Doig

Defender

35

Luca Lipani

Midfielder

92

Grégoire Defrel

Attacker

46'

7

Matheus Henrique

Midfielder

62'

15

Emil Konradsen Ceide

Attacker

77'

6

Uros Racic

Midfielder

77'

44

Ruan Tressoldi

Defender

9'

2

Davide Calabria

Defender

4

Ismaël Bennacer

Midfielder

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

38

Filippo Terracciano

Midfielder

85

Kevin Zeroli

Midfielder

9

Olivier Giroud

Attacker

55'

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

55'

14

Tijjani Reijnders

Midfielder

55'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

65'

17

Noah Okafor

Attacker

82'