Milan had the chance to put the pressure on the chasing pack, with the remainder of the top eight all playing later on Sunday. However, Sassuolo have proven to be a bogey team for the Rossoneri in recent times, having won just two of the previous six Serie A head-to-heads against the Neroverdi prior to kick-off, and the first half here did not go to plan.
Alexis Saelemaekers had the game’s first shot, firing over the crossbar early on, but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock shortly before the quarter-hour mark.
A promising move involving Nemanja Matic and Andrea Pinamonti ultimately found its way to Ismael Kone, who drove towards goal before delicately chipping beyond Mike Maignan.
Initially, the hosts struggled to find a response against a compact Sassuolo, with chances at a premium.
Adrien Rabiot had Milan’s first real opening, creating some space after a nice run, only for Arijanet Muric to stand strong and keep his attempt out.
Ultimately, Massimiliano Allegri’s team did find an equaliser before the break, and it came from an unlikely source as Davide Bartesaghi ghosted in at the back post to slot home Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s cross for his maiden Serie A goal.
After the interval, though, momentum was with Milan, and before long, they were in front as Bartesaghi found the net once again when slotting past Muric at his near post.
Allegri’s men subsequently had the ball in the back of the net twice more through Christian Pulisic and Adrien Rabiot, but the former’s effort was ruled out for a Loftus-Cheek foul in the build-up, while the latter was in an offside position.
As the half progressed, Sassuolo had an increasing share of possession, and Maignan needed to be alert to turn away Kristian Thorstvedt’s flick.
Eventually, they made their pressure pay through Armand Lauriente, who slotted past Maignan with aplomb with around 15 minutes remaining.
Despite Milan leading the way in the Italian top flight, both teams pursued a winner, and Sassuolo went closest as Laurienté struck the post from outside the area following a quick counter.
The result means both Napoli and fierce rivals Inter Milan have the chance to leapfrog the Rossoneri in the table, while they have also now failed to beat the three newly-promoted sides in their first three such H2Hs for the first time since 2014/15. Meanwhile, Sassuolo’s return to the elite continues to go well, with them currently ninth in the table with 21 points to their name.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Davide Bartesaghi (AC Milan)