Reggio Emilia, 4 May 2023 – Company of Sassuolo against an Inter B team and a shot that can revive the chances of salvation. Lauriente decides the Saturday evening match against the Italian champions of Inter, full of reserves, and puts Sassuolo at 29 points, momentarily two from safety. Too little for the Nerazzurri who had found an equalizer in the first half with Lautarocanceled due to offside, while in the second they never managed to cause any concern Advice. Thuram and Calhanoglu stood by and watched, Barella only played one game while Frattesi, Carlos Augusto and Sanchez didn’t give the right push. It is the second defeat in the championship for Inter and both arrived with Sassuolo. It doesn’t hurt, the Scudetto had already arrived, but surely Inzaghi he will not have been satisfied with the opportunity given to some second line. Inter had not been without a goal in 42 games. Instead it relaunches Ballardini who had even been at risk of being sacked after the five goals scored in Florence.
Laurientè immediately. Lautaro equals, but he is offside
Inzaghi he makes turnover, especially in midfield where he deploys Frattesi and Asllani leaving Barella and Calhanoglu on the bench. He plays forward Sanchez alongside Lautaro. In Sassuolo 3-5-2, something new, with Lauriente and Pinamonti in attack. Sassuolo tries to play with courage, but the salvation mission is desperate and Inter he has more quality, above all he can exploit spaces with the black-greens who have to attack to score points. Inzaghi’s team aims to do damage vertically, taking advantage of the open field behind the defense. After the first few minutes with Sassuolo trying to press, Inter takes control of the match with the usual pattern of rotations and outbursts on the outside. In the 8th minute, a delightful cross from Sticks but Sanchez doesn’t find the winning shot on the fly. However, the home team had an opportunity in the 14th minute when a scrum was created and Thorstvedt he tries to take advantage of it, but the close shot is deflected at the best. Sassuolo comes back with shots and also finds a right-footed shot Lipani which forces Audero to save. It’s game on. Inter responds shortly afterwards with a tense cross from Dumfries for Lautaro’s turn which gives the illusion of the net. Ballardini’s team manages to get through in the 20th minute. Stubborn he is Doig who snatches the ball from Dumfries and then serves Lauriente in the center: right plate and 1-0. Five minutes later the Italian champions could equalize thanks to a splendid vision from Asllani Dumfries which wastes everything with a diagonal slipper that ends at the bottom. Forcing Inter, shortly after right-footed shot Sanchez which Consigli is called upon to instinctively reject. Inzaghi’s men command the operations with Sassuolo anchored behind to defend the result, but the last quality play to unhinge the home goal is missing. The maneuvered actions pass mainly to the left from Sticks, not supported by Carlos Augusto, while on the right Dumfries is imprecise in the finishing phase. The Nerazzurri still managed to equalize in the last second. This time it is a throw-in that triggers the goal with Carlos Augusto finding the assist, fortuitous, for the insertion of Lautaro. However, there is the VAR which certifies an offside of the number ten. It stays like this.
Very little Inter in the second half
At the beginning of the second half the push Inter appears weakened and less lively, in fact Sassuolo seems to control the match better and with more order compared to the troubles at the end of the first half. Ballardini however makes a change and chooses Boloca for Thorstvedt, instead Inzaghi opts for Cuadrado e Arnautovic for Dumfries and Mkhitaryan. Inter more offensive with Sanchez as a midfielder and two strikers up front. There are no particular tremors from Consigli for over twenty minutes of play and Inter he doesn’t find fluidity with the second lines on the pitch due to lack of synchronization and assorted inaccuracies. The idea of the three-quarters, in clogged spaces, does not seem to give the desired results and we mainly go through external routes. Cuadrado, in one of the rare moments, he triggers Arnautovic but the diagonal is blocked, so Inzaghi also chooses Buchanan and Barella for the final twenty minutes. Sassuolo closes the gaps and resists, they do so with self-sacrifice and attention in the face of an Inter team that is a little too slow-trotting. The guests then try to exploit the positions, but apart from a few scrums Advice he is not forced to make significant saves and an important success is looming for Sassuolo in the race for salvation, at least to get back into the game in view of the last three matchdays. A ring comes with ten to go: great idea from Barella for the depth of Cuadradocenter for Arnautovic which is anticipated by Kumbulla a few steps from the door. Ballardini chooses two other men of substance for the finale and goes with Racic and Missori to try to hold on to an important result and Inter seems to have none to overturn a match affected by turnover and Scudetto celebrations. The Nerazzurri lack ideas and also start firing shots from outside without success. Solo sorties were also attempted on the wing with Buchanan and Cuadrado, but to no avail. And then Sassuolo takes three points which relaunch them in the race for salvation and suck in Empoli, Verona, Frosinone and Udinese while waiting for the matches of the thirty-fifth round. Hit Ballardini. Inzaghi’s second lines were sent back as they didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.
Sassuolo-Inter 1-0
Sassuolo (3-5-2): Consigli, Erlic, Ferrari, Kumbulla; Toljan, Lipani (25′ st Obiang), Henrique, Thorstvedt (13′ st Boloca), Doig; Laurient, Pinamonti. All. Ballardini. Available: Bajrami, Ceide, Cragno, Mulatteri, Pedersen, Pegolo, Viti, Volpato. Inter (3-5-2): Audero, Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni (23′ st. Buchanan); Dumfries (13′ st Cuadrado), Frattesi (23′ st Barella), Asllani (28′ st Klaassen), Mkhitaryan (13′ st Arnautovic), Carlos Augusto; Martinez, Sanchez. Coach Inzaghi. Available: Bisseck, Calhanoglu, Darmian, Di Gennaro, Dimarco, Sensi, Sommer, Thuram. Scorers: Laurienté 20′ Booked: Pavard, Boloca Sent off: none
