Sassuolo 2-0 Milan: Tomori red card sinks Rossoneri as Champions League spot wobbles

Key facts

• Fikayo Tomori received a second yellow card in the 24th minute, reducing Milan to 10 men for over an hour.
• Domenico Berardi opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a left-footed finish into the far bottom corner.
• Armand Laurienté scored the second goal within 90 seconds of the second half, assisted by Kristian Thorstvedt.
• Milan had zero shots on target in the first half and failed to score for the fourth time in six league games.
• Luka Modric underwent surgery for a fractured cheekbone and is out for the season.
• Sassuolo moved to 9th place with 49 points; Milan stayed 3rd with 67 points, but Juventus can draw level.
• The match was played at Mapei Stadium on May 3, 2026, with referee Fabio Maresca.

Early strike and red card derail Milan's Champions League push

AC Milan's bid to secure a Champions League berth suffered a severe setback on Sunday as they fell 2-0 to Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, a defeat that leaves the Rossoneri looking over their shoulder at Juventus, Como and Roma. Domenico Berardi needed less than five minutes to remind everyone of his extraordinary record against Milan. Kristian Thorstvedt robbed Ardon Jashari in midfield and fed the ball to Berardi, who bent a first-time finish into the far bottom corner with the inside of his left foot — his 12th career goal past the Rossoneri. Milan's response was limp. Rafael Leao squandered a golden chance when he blasted wide with only the goalkeeper to beat after a defensive error. Then, in the 24th minute, Fikayo Tomori brought down Armand Laurienté on the counter-attack, earning a second yellow card and leaving his team a man down for more than an hour.

Laurienté seals victory as Milan's attack goes missing

Sassuolo doubled their lead within 90 seconds of the restart. Laurienté completed a give-and-go with Thorstvedt just inside the area and thumped a low, hard finish into the near bottom corner. Milan, who had not conceded more than once in an away league match in 11 games, offered little in response. Goalkeeper Stefano Turati did not have to make a save until the hour mark. Massimiliano Allegri made a host of substitutions, but his side's attacking play remained disjointed. Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic, Christopher Nkunku, Santiago Gimenez and Niclas Füllkrug have now gone a combined 2,787 minutes without scoring. Milan have scored only 16 goals since the midway point of the season, the 12th-most in Serie A.

Allegri's selection gamble backfires without Modric

Luka Modric's season ended after he suffered a fractured cheekbone during the 0-0 draw with Juventus, requiring surgery. Ardon Jashari stepped into the regista role, but the Swiss midfielder was caught in possession for Berardi's opener. Allegri had opted to bench Christian Pulisic, starting Christopher Nkunku alongside Leao in a 3-5-2 formation. The back four of Mike Maignan, Tomori, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic remained unchanged after a clean sheet against Juventus, but Tomori's dismissal exposed them. Pervis Estupinan replaced Davide Bartesaghi at left wing-back, while Alexis Saelemaekers, Youssouf Fofana and Adrien Rabiot completed the midfield. Both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alieu Fadera were booked for simulation.

Sassuolo's clinical counter-attacking punishes Milan's sloppiness

Sassuolo, under coach Fabio Grosso, executed a disciplined game plan. Despite injuries to Darryl Bakola, Fali Cande, Daniel Boloca and Edoardo Pieragnolo, and with Berardi returning from a two-match ban, the Neroverdi pressed high and struck on the break. Mike Maignan made a one-handed save on M'Bala Nzola's counter-attack early on. Strahinja Pavlovic made a decisive block on Thorstvedt, and Jay Idzes limped off injured. Zachary Athekame fired over, while Nzola and Thorstvedt failed to keep efforts on target. The victory was Sassuolo's first head-to-head win in five meetings across all competitions and their third in five league games, lifting them into the top half of the table.

Champions League race tightens as Milan's form crumbles

Milan remain third with 67 points, but Juventus can draw level with a win later in the evening. Como and Roma are also within striking distance. The Rossoneri have won only two of their last six matches and failed to score in three of their last four league games. Allegri had said in his pre-match press conference that Sassuolo could not be underestimated, noting their ability to pounce at the right moments. That warning proved prophetic. With two games left in the season, Milan's once-comfortable path to the Champions League now depends on results elsewhere and a rapid reversal of their attacking malaise. The Rossoneri must pull themselves together before losing their place in the top four.

The bottom line

• Milan lost 2-0 to Sassuolo after Tomori's red card left them with 10 men for 66 minutes.
• Berardi scored his 12th career goal against Milan in the 5th minute; Laurienté added the second early in the second half.
• Milan had zero shots on target in the first half and have scored only 16 goals since the midway point of the season.
• Luka Modric is out for the season after cheekbone surgery; his replacement Jashari was at fault for the first goal.
• Sassuolo moved to 9th place with 49 points, their first win over Milan in five meetings.
• Milan's Champions League spot is threatened by Juventus, Como and Roma with two matches remaining.