AC Milan Takes A Step Backwards Against Sassuolo
So much for the momentum AC Milan gained from defeating Real Madrid during the holiday break. AC Milan not only lost to Sassuolo, they lost at the San Siro, a place that they have fared very well in this season. After signing Alessio Cerci on January 5, this was supposed to drive the momentum forward as the Rossoneri searched for a European position in the standings.
The game kicked off at a feverish pace as Andrea Poli finished off a loose ball in the Sassuolo box to push the game to 1-0 in just the ninth minute. Poli scored just his first goal of the season.
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Sassuolo would tie up the game, however, as Nicola Sansone pulled the game even with his blank goal in the 28th minute. Sansone scored his second of the season and is currently tied for third on the team leaders.
Shortly after Cerci made his Milan debut in the 65th minute, coming in for Michael Essien, Sassuolo pushed the game to 2-1 with a goal from Simone Zaza. The Italian international striker scored his sixth of the season which puts him in a tie for 11th in Serie A.
Sassuolo would hold on to the shocking upset road win against the Italian giants.
Despite Milan standing in seventh place after this round, they are still only five points behind third-place Lazio and Napoli. Both teams picked up crucial wins over Sampdoria and Cesena in their game for Round 17. Milan’s loss was just their fourth of the season (6-7-4), but their second in the past four matches.
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Sassuolo’s win was just their fifth of the season (5-8-4) and the three points they earned helped them jump over Inter and Udinese into 10th place.
All eyes were on Cerci to make a great impact on the game as he is another addition to a striking group that is in need of more help. Cerci slipped in to the center midfielder position today when he was subbed in to Milan’s 4-3-3 formation. One has to wonder what the plan is for Cerci as he can fit into any attacking role, especially at wing, and has invaluable chemistry with Stephan El Shaarawy, Poli, Riccardo Montolivo, and more due to their presence on Italy.
AC Milan will have a quick turnaround and play on January 10th against 14th-place Torino in a game that Cerci may be eyeing to start. Cerci was sold from Torino to Atletico Madrid before joining Milan on loan. That game will be a road one for Milan, so look for a possible reunion in that one.
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Sassuolo will face off against Udinese in a match that will look to differentiate the two in the middle of the table. Udinese has lost three out of their last five matches and are reeling after a strong start to the season.