Tomori’s red card leaves Milan in tatters as Sassuolo secure 2-0 victory

Key facts

• Fikayo Tomori was sent off in the 24th minute after receiving two yellow cards for fouls on Kristian Thorstvedt and Armand Laurienté.
• Domenico Berardi scored his 12th career goal against Milan in the fifth minute, opening the scoring for Sassuolo.
• Armand Laurienté doubled Sassuolo’s lead within 90 seconds of the second half, finishing a give-and-go with Thorstvedt.
• Milan, third in Serie A with 67 points, missed the chance to close the gap on Napoli in second place.
• Luka Modric underwent surgery for a fractured cheekbone and will miss the remainder of the season.
• Milan have scored only 16 goals since the midway point of the season, the 12th-most in Serie A.
• Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Christopher Nkunku, Santiago Gimenez, and Niclas Füllkrug have gone a combined 2,787 minutes without scoring.
• Sassuolo, ninth with 49 points, ended a two-match losing streak and moved closer to a top-half finish.

A disastrous start for Milan at the Mapei Stadium

AC Milan’s hopes of securing a Champions League spot took a severe blow on Sunday afternoon as they fell 2-0 to Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium. The defeat, played out in front of a tense crowd, leaves the Rossoneri still third in Serie A with 67 points, unable to close the gap on second-placed Napoli. From the opening minutes, Milan looked vulnerable. Domenico Berardi, returning from a two-match ban, needed less than five minutes to add to his remarkable record against the Rossoneri. Kristian Thorstvedt robbed Ardon Jashari in midfield, switched the ball quickly from left to right, and Berardi bent a first-time finish with the inside of his left foot into the far bottom corner. Mike Maignan kept Milan in the game with a one-handed save from M’Bala Nzola’s counter-attack, but the warning signs were clear. Both teams had penalty appeals waved away — Berardi with his arm behind his back, Laurienté going down too easily under pressure from Matteo Gabbia, and Christopher Nkunku at the other end.

Tomori’s red card turns the tide

Milan’s task became significantly harder in the 24th minute when centre-back Fikayo Tomori was shown a second yellow card by referee Fabio Maresca. Tomori had already been booked in the ninth minute for a trip on Thorstvedt just inside the Sassuolo half. His second offence was almost identical: a foul on Laurienté on the halfway line, leading to an immediate dismissal. There were few complaints from the Milan camp. Tomori walked straight down the tunnel, leaving his team to play more than an hour with ten men. Coach Massimiliano Allegri decided against making any personnel changes before halftime, keeping the same outfield players despite being a defender down. Rafael Leao had wasted a golden opportunity moments before the red card, blasting wide with only the goalkeeper to beat after a defensive error. The miss proved costly as Sassuolo grew in confidence.

Laurienté seals the win early in the second half

Sassuolo doubled their lead within 90 seconds of the restart. Laurienté completed a give-and-go with Thorstvedt just inside the area, then thumped a low, hard finish into the near bottom corner. The goal effectively ended the contest, leaving Milan with an uphill battle they could not overcome. Strahinja Pavlovic made a decisive block on Thorstvedt, and Jay Idzes limped off injured, but Sassuolo continued to threaten. Zachary Athekame fired over, while Nzola and Thorstvedt failed to keep their efforts on target. At the other end, both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alieu Fadera were booked for simulation in the box, summing up Milan’s frustration. The match ended 2-0, with Sassuolo moving to 49 points in ninth place, while Milan’s grip on a top-four finish loosened.

Milan’s attacking woes continue

The defeat highlighted a deeper problem for Milan: a chronic inability to score. The Rossoneri have found the net only 16 times since the midway point of the season, the 12th-most in Serie A. They have failed to score in four of their last six games, and their attacking stars — Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Christopher Nkunku, Santiago Gimenez, and Niclas Füllkrug — have gone a combined 2,787 minutes without a goal. Allegri had dropped Pulisic to the bench in favor of Nkunku, but the change did not spark the attack. Leao remained in the starting XI but continued his drought. The team’s attacking play has been described as non-existent for about two months, with the 0-0 draw against Juventus the previous week serving as a low point. Milan’s midfield also suffered a blow with the loss of Luka Modric, who underwent surgery for a fractured cheekbone sustained during the Juventus match. The veteran’s season is over, opening the door for Ardon Jashari or Samuele Ricci to take the regista role. Jashari started against Sassuolo but was dispossessed in the build-up to Berardi’s opener.

Sassuolo’s resilience and the road ahead

Sassuolo, under coach Fabio Grosso, showed the ability to pounce at the right moments, as Allegri had warned in his pre-match press conference. The Neroverdi were without several injured players — Darryl Bakola, Fali Cande, Daniel Boloca, and Edoardo Pieragnolo — but still managed to control the game after taking the lead. Berardi’s 12th career goal against Milan underscored his status as a tormentor of the Rossoneri. Laurienté’s second-half strike sealed a deserved victory, moving Sassuolo closer to a top-half finish. The win also ended a two-match losing streak for the club. For Milan, the equation remains simple: with six more points from their remaining 12, a Champions League spot will be secured. But the team’s form suggests they may stumble over the finish line rather than surge through it. The next fixtures will test whether Allegri can revive an attack that has gone stale.

What next for the Rossoneri?

Milan’s penultimate away game of the season ended in disappointment, but the objective is still within reach. The Rossoneri need to regroup quickly, with the next match offering a chance to get back on track. However, the attacking crisis and the loss of Modric raise serious questions about the squad’s depth and creativity. Allegri’s decision to persist with a 3-5-2 formation has not yielded goals, and the lack of a reliable striker has become a glaring issue. The club’s search for a forward in the summer transfer window may now intensify. For now, Milan must find a way to score without their key playmaker and with a defense that lost its composure under pressure. The Champions League spot is not yet lost, but the margin for error has shrunk to near zero.

The bottom line

• Fikayo Tomori’s red card in the 24th minute forced Milan to play more than an hour with ten men, leading to a 2-0 defeat.
• Domenico Berardi scored his 12th career goal against Milan in the fifth minute, continuing his record as a Rossoneri nemesis.
• Armand Laurienté doubled Sassuolo’s lead early in the second half, sealing the win for the Neroverdi.
• Milan’s attacking struggles persist: the team has scored only 16 goals since the midway point of the season and its forwards have gone 2,787 minutes without a goal.
• Luka Modric’s season-ending fractured cheekbone forces Milan to rely on Ardon Jashari or Samuele Ricci in midfield.
• Milan remain third in Serie A with 67 points, but missed the chance to close the gap on Napoli and secure a Champions League spot early.