Samuel Chukwueze was kept quiet for most of the game as AC Milan needed a late Noah Okafor equaliser to snatch a draw at Sassuolo.
AC Milan suffered a stumble in their bid to finish at least second best in the Serie A this season after being held to a draw by impressive Frosinone.
The Nigerian winger has been enjoying a rich vein of form, but this afternoon at Mapei Stadium, he was made largely ineffective I Neroverdi. However, Swiss-Nigerian striker Okafor, who came on for Rafael Leao, earned a late draw for the Rossoneri.
How it happened
Sassuolo defied their poor form this season with a blistering start against Milan. Within just four minutes, Kristian Thorstvedt's flick from Cristian Volpato's cross found Andrea Pinamonti, who clinically finished past Marco Sportiello to give Sassuolo an unexpected lead.
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The home side doubled their advantage shortly after, as Armand Laurienté's burst of pace down the left flank left Alessandro Florenzi trailing. Despite Sportiello's initial save, Laurienté pounced on the rebound to extend Sassuolo's lead.
However, Milan responded swiftly, with Portuguese star Rafael Leão pulling one back with a composed finish after a mazy run through the Sassuolo defense. The goal injected life into Milan's play, setting the stage for a tense first half.
Sassuolo regained their two-goal cushion early in the second half when Laurienté capitalized on Grégoire Defrel's through ball to slot home his second of the match. Yet, Milan refused to back down, with Luka Jović reducing the deficit to 3-2 just minutes later.
As the game wore on, Sassuolo's energy waned under the scorching Italian sun, and Milan thought they had equalized through Samuel Chukwueze, only for VAR to rule him offside. Sassuolo's hopes of securing all three points were dashed when Noah Okafor capitalized on a defensive lapse to level the scoreline.
In the end, Sassuolo held on for a hard-fought draw, but the result leaves them languishing below the relegation line with only six matches remaining in the season.
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