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Inter logo
Serie A
May 12, 2018 at 7.45pm UK
 
Sassuolo logo

1-2

Rafinha (80')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Politano (25'), Berardi (72')

Inter Milan suffer costly defeat in race for top four

Inter suffer costly defeat in top-four race
© SilverHub
Inter Milan lose 2-1 to Sassuolo at San Siro to remain two points behind fourth-placed Lazio, who have a game in hand to play.

Inter Milan have fallen to a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Sassuolo to lose ground in the race for a top-four finish in Serie A.

The Nerazzurri trailed 2-0 with a quarter of the game left to play and, despite Rafinha converting with 10 minutes to go, there was to be no coming back.

Inter remain fifth in the standings, two points adrift of Lazio who play their game in hand on Sunday afternoon, meaning that their Champions League qualification hopes may be over by the end of the weekend.

With Lazio to come on the final weekend, the hosts knew that victory would be enough to keep their fate in their own hands, but they could not overcome a Sassuolo side with little to play for.

After Alfred Duncan had sent out a warning message by shooting wide at the end of a counter, Matteo Politano rolled the ball under Inter's jumping wall to give the Neroverdi the lead with 25 minutes on the clock.

Andrea Consigli was called into action to keep out Marcelo Brozovic's powerful drive, and Domenico Beradi would have found a way through if not for an impressive Samir Handanovic save at the opposite end of the pitch.

Rafinha and Antonio Candreva were next to come close for Inter, both testing Consigli, while Mauro Icardi found the back of the net but was flagged for offside.

Looking for a fourth win in five matches, Inter should have been level when Ivan Perisic somehow failed to convert when picked out unmarked from eight yards.

Then, after Berardi had an effort helped around the post and Duncan a snapshot from a similar position, Sassuolo had themselves a second.

Berardi cut inside and blasted the ball past Handanovic from the edge of the area, with that proving to be the winner as Inter could muster just one goal in response - Rafinha tucking away with a left-footed finish from 20 yards out.

Icardi did have a couple of chances, though, as did Eder, with Man of the Match Consigli denying the latter to get his side over the line for a fourth win in five matches.

INTER MILAN (4-2-3-1): Handanovic; Cancelo, Skriniar, Ranocchia (Borja Valero 76'), D'Ambrosio; Vecino (Eder 71'), Brozovic; Candreva (Karamoh 58'), Rafinha, Perisic; Icardi

SASSUOLO (3-5-2): Consigli; Lemos (Letschert 84'), Acerbi, Dell'Orco; Adjapong, Missiroli, Magnanelli, Duncan, Rogerio; Berardi (Ragusa 78'), Politano (Babacar 71')

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Marcelo Brozovic in action for Inter Milan on October 1, 2017
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Napoli19142330121844
2Atalanta BCAtalanta18132343202341
3Inter Milan17124145153040
4Lazio1911263327635
5Juventus18711030151532
6Fiorentina1895431181332
7Bologna177732521428
8AC Milan177642617927
9Udinese197482328-525
10Roma196582624223
11Torino195681924-521
12Empoli194871822-420
13Genoa194871627-1120
14Parma194782534-919
15Hellas VeronaHellas Verona1961122442-1819
16Como184682030-1018
17CagliariCagliari1945101832-1417
18Lecce1945101131-2017
19VeneziaVenezia1935111832-1414
20Monza1917111727-1010


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