Sassuolo struck first against Milan in their Serie A meeting, with Domenico Berardi curling in a left-footed finish after Jashari was dispossessed by Thorstvedt in midfield. The move had already been building through Nzola and Laurienté before Berardi, as so often against Milan, did the damage.
Milan had started with the first possession after Tommaso Maresca blew the whistle, but they were left chasing the game after Berardi’s opener made it 1-0. Rafael Leao later missed a clear chance to level, sending a left-footed effort too wide with the goal open, while Mike Maignan kept Milan in it by saving from Nzola on a Sassuolo counterattack. Nkunku also went to ground in the area after a Milan attack, but play continued.
The result carried extra weight for Milan, who still needed six points from their final four matches to be safe for Champions League qualification for 2026-27. Sassuolo and Milan had already drawn 2-2 in the first meeting of the league season, and Berardi once again shaped the narrative in a fixture that has long tilted his way. Milan know the history well: they won the Serie A title in Reggio Emilia in 2022, but that same stadium also carried older scars, including Allegri’s dismissal there in 2014 after a Berardi display that left its mark on the club.
The match came with Milan set up in a 3-5-2 formation and Sassuolo in a 4-3-3, with the referee team led by Maresca and assisted by Peretti, Bercigli, Marinelli, Mazzoleni and Paganessi. It was also scheduled for broadcast on Dazn and Sky channel 214 for subscribers with Zona Dazn, part of a day that included pre-match appearances by Jashari and Giuseppe Carnevali.
That broader backdrop mattered because the football itself was simple: Sassuolo found the opening, Milan could not make theirs count, and Berardi again looked like the player who changes this matchup more often than not. For Milan, every miss now carries more weight. For Sassuolo, one early goal was enough to put the pressure back where they wanted it.