Milan-Sassuolo 1-0: Pulisic secures year-end victory for the Rossoneri

The 18th round clash in the Serie A 2023/2024 championship at San Siro saw Milan edge out Sassuolo in a 1-0 victory.

The game kicked off with an assertive Sassuolo side, making their presence felt in the first few minutes. A central cross from Pedersen was easily handled by Milan’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan.

However, Milan took control of the match with a goal from Oliver Giroud, only for it to be disallowed due to offside. Further attempts by the Rossoneri, including a long-range effort by Reijnders, put Sassuolo’s defence to the test but yielded no result.

Key moments from the first half included prominent attempts on goal from Leao, Berardi, Bajrami and Florenzi, though still no tangible result was seen on the scoreboard as the first half drew to a close.

The second half began and the game’s momentum was maintained. Sassuolo’s Toljan narrowly missed converting a shot into a goal, which was skillfully blocked by Maignan.

The stalemate was finally broken in the 59th minute when Christian Pulisic netted a decisive goal for Milan, sealing the win. Pulisic was later named Man of the Match for his impressive performance.

Despite further attempts from both teams, including a potent shot from Volpato, and a missed opportunity from Leao, Milan held onto their slim lead until the final whistle.

The line-up for Milan included Maignan, Calabria, Kjaer, Theo Hernandez, Florenzi, Bennacer, Reijnders, Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao and Giroud, under the management of Stefano Pioli.

Sassuolo’s squad featured players like Consigli, Toljan, Erlic, Ferrari, Pedersen, Henrique, Thorstvedt, Berardi, Bajrami, Laurienté, and Pinamonti, led by coach Alessio Dionisi.

With this outcome, Milan secures a much needed win contributing to their standings in the Serie A championship.