Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan missed the chance to reclaim the Serie A summit on Sunday after falling to a 2-0 home defeat to giant-killers Sassuolo which allowed AC Milan to keep top spot.
First half strikes from Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca gave Sassuolo an impressive win at the San Siro which left Inter two points behind Milan, who had opened the door for their local rivals with Saturday’s draw at bottom side Salernitana.
It was the latest triumph for Sassuolo at one of Italy’s big three after also winning at Milan and Juventus this season.
The ball is now in Napoli’s court in an exciting three-way title race as Luciano Spalletti’s side, who sit a point behind Inter in third, can move top on goal difference with a win at Cagliari on Monday evening.
Simone Inzaghi’s tired looking Inter team, who were missing midfield lynchpin Marcelo Brozovic and starting centre-back Alessandro Bastoni to suspension, could have easily found themselves three down at the break, as Domenico Berardi thumped a beautiful shot off the bar in the 38th minute.
Their current fragility was exposed in the eighth minute when after Berardi pinched the ball from Hakan Calhanoglu he fed Raspadori who hit a low shot which squirmed home past Samir Handanovic.
And Scamacca, who is hotly tipped to move to Inter alongside teammate Davide Frattesi in the summer, stunned the home fans when he drifted into the area unmarked and headed home his 10th Serie A goal of the season from Hamed Traore’s inswinging cross.
However Inter only had themselves to blame to not have made more of a game of it, as a wave of second-half pressure brought enough chances to at least escape with a draw.
Edin Dzeko was off form after coming on as a second-half substitute but it was Lautaro Martinez who left Inter fans opened-mouthed in the 72nd minute when he somehow poked wide with an open goal at his mercy.
A bad evening for Inter was rounded off when Stefan de Vrij’s powerful stoppage-time header was ruled out for a handball by Federico Dimarco in the build-up.