Frosinone turned a turbulent Friday night at the Benito Stirpe into their most emphatic statement of the early Serie A season, beating Sassuolo 4-2 in a Matchday 7 contest decided by Antonio Raimondo’s hat-trick.
The home side had already seen one Giorgi Kvernadze finish ruled out for offside when they built a two-goal advantage in the first half, only for Sassuolo to repeatedly find a route back into the match. Raimondo’s third goal, collected from the aftermath of a corner 12 minutes after the interval, finally gave Frosinone the margin they needed.
Raimondo drives Frosinone through six-goal evening
Frosinone began with intent on 16 October, and Giacomo Calò put them ahead in the ninth minute. The midfielder struck with his right foot from inside the box, placing the ball into the top-left corner.
Sassuolo responded six minutes later through Domenico Berardi. Darryl Bakola led a counterattack and supplied Berardi, who finished from close range to restore parity.
There was a brief belief that Frosinone had moved ahead again in the 17th minute, when Kvernadze found the net, but VAR identified an offside infringement in the build-up and the score remained 1-1.
Raimondo then took charge of the first half. He scored from close distance in the 26th minute before adding a second four minutes later with a right-footed effort from outside the area. Frosinone had gone from frustration to a 3-1 lead in little more than 20 minutes.
Sassuolo did not disappear from the occasion. Kristian Thorstvedt reduced the deficit in the 37th minute, finishing with his left foot from the middle of the area, and the visitors went into the interval only one goal behind at 3-2.
A decisive set-piece moment
The second half continued in the same open spirit. Romano Schmid tested Sassuolo goalkeeper Arijanet Muric soon after the restart, while Calò and Kvernadze both had further attempts as Frosinone searched for a fourth.
That goal arrived in the 57th minute. A Frosinone corner created disorder in the Sassuolo area; after Farès Ghedjemis had a close-range header saved, Raimondo reacted to finish from close range into the top-right corner.
It was a significant moment in the rhythm of the evening. Sassuolo had come back twice, but the fourth Frosinone goal left them with too much ground to recover.
Sassuolo pressure cannot alter the result
Sassuolo coach’s changes brought on Kieron Bowie, Benja Domínguez, Rafa Obrador and Luca Lipani before Cristian Volpato replaced Armand Laurienté. The visitors continued to create moments: Laurienté forced a low save, Lipani narrowly missed the right post and Cas Odenthal headed wide late on.
Duje Ćaleta-Car also had a stoppage-time header held after Berardi’s headed assist, but Frosinone saw out the closing minutes without conceding again.
Frosinone made their own changes to protect a demanding lead, with Alessio Zerbin, Omar Fayed, Matteo Cichella, Wisdom Amey and Daniel Bîrligea all entering during the second half. Sassuolo’s Bowie was booked for a dangerous challenge in the 82nd minute.
The final whistle confirmed a 4-2 home win: a night shaped by Frosinone’s attacking conviction, Raimondo’s finishing and Sassuolo’s inability to make their periods of pressure count for a third time.
Goals
- 9′ — Frosinone: Giacomo Calò
- 15′ — Sassuolo: Domenico Berardi
- 26′ — Frosinone: Antonio Raimondo
- 30′ — Frosinone: Antonio Raimondo
- 37′ — Sassuolo: Kristian Thorstvedt
- 57′ — Frosinone: Antonio Raimondo
