Milan remain unbeaten after six Serie A rounds, yet the draw at Sassuolo left Rúben Amorim’s side with the familiar feeling that an opportunity had slipped away. The 1-1 result was their third stalemate of the young campaign and leaves the Rossoneri four points behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio, with their attacking promise still not consistently becoming goals.
There was little rhythm in the opening half-hour at the Mapei Stadium. Neither side registered a shot on target, while the principal incidents were injuries to Milan defender Matteo Gabbia, who left on a stretcher with a muscular problem, and Sassuolo’s Fedde Leysen.
Milan gradually began to take control through Diego Moreira. The Belgian midfielder gave the visitors greater invention, first creating a chance from a free-kick on the right that Adrien Rabiot headed over at the near post. Gonçalo Ramos then came close twice in the final moments before the interval. After arriving from the right and producing a clever backheel feint, the Portuguese forward aimed for the near corner, only for Arijanet Muric to make the save. The Sassuolo goalkeeper was quickly required again to deny Ramos from a header.
Moreira continued to press the issue in stoppage time before the break, with Muric gathering his central effort and then keeping out Strahinja Pavlovic’s downward header from another delivery. Sassuolo had held firm, but Milan had at least begun to find some attacking continuity.
Amorim turned to Luka Modric at half-time after initially resting the Croatian, who had recently played twice against Spain with his national team. Milan’s football became more composed after his arrival, and Modric was central to the breakthrough on 64 minutes. His pass sent Rabiot into the area, where the Frenchman struck a left-footed shot inside the near post to finally beat Muric.
The visitors did not build on that advantage. Sassuolo, who had offered almost nothing going forward until then, responded with a more direct approach and immediately tested Mike Maignan through Kieron Bowie and Kristian Thorstvedt. The Milan goalkeeper dealt with both efforts, but could do little four minutes after Rabiot’s goal when his defence failed to clear a loose ball. Cas Odenthal reacted amid a crowded penalty area and found a route through the bodies to level the match.
Back at 1-1, Milan were again asked to unlock a deep Sassuolo block. Their late pressure brought only one further significant intervention from Muric, who saved from Samuel Chukwueze. It was another afternoon in which Milan avoided defeat, but Amorim’s team left with only a point and another reminder that their unbeaten start has not yet carried the authority required to stay with the clubs at the summit.
