Sassuolo incredibly confirms itself as the only team capable of beating Inter this Serie A season. From 27 September 2023 to 4 May 2024, after more than seven months of unbeaten play (closed streak of 28 consecutive useful results) the new Italian champions – who wasted the opportunity to exceed 100 points in the standings – fall again against the neroverdi, who achieved the saving grace of the 35th day of the championship. At the Mapei Stadium it ended 1-0 thanks to Laurentiè’s goal during the first half, with a goal disallowed by VAR for Lautaro Martinez for offside. Ballardini’s Emilians are smiling again after almost two months, rising to 29 points and rekindling their hopes of maintaining the category (temporarily -2 from fourth-last place). Obviously a painless but still bitter defeat for Inzaghi’s team, who is not repaid for the trust given to many second lines.
The home team’s approach to the match was good and in the 16th minute they became very dangerous with a shot from the edge of the area by Lipani, saved by Audero with a dive to his left. The Nerazzurri responded immediately with captain Lautaro, who tried to split Dumfries’s cross but put it on the outside of the net. In the 20th minute, following a carelessness by Dumfries, the Emilians took the lead: Doig stole the ball from the Dutchman on the back line and set it up for Laurientè, whose first-time right-footed shot struck Audero for the 1-0 . The guests are not having it, they try to take control of the operations and in the 26th minute they have the ball for the equalizer: Asllani serves a golden assist to Dumfries, the Dutch has the chance to make up for the previous mistake, but his right diagonal from an inviting position goes out to the bottom. Inter’s equalizer would arrive in the last available seconds of the first half, but Lautaro’s tap-in in front of goal was made in vain by his own offside (VAR intervention) on a deflected shot by Carlos Augusto. In the second half the Nerazzurri tried to change the pace, Inzaghi brought in fresh forces from the bench, but the results struggled to be seen. Inter’s maneuver remains slow and confused, so much so that there are no major dangers coming from the Consigli area. In the final stages, the last timid attacks by the guests found no luck and the 1-0 held at the final whistle.