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Serie A
Feb 9, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Sassuolo logo

1-0

Samuel (48')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Live Commentary: Inter Milan 1-0 Sassuolo - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's text commentary of Inter Milan's 1-0 win over Sassuolo in their Serie A match at the San Siro.
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Inter Milan hosted Sassuolo in their Serie A match at the San Siro.

The hosts dominated the game all evening, but it took them until the start of the second half to break the deadlock, as Walter Samuel headed in a corner.

They had further chances to score, but could not add to their lead and saw the game out to claim their first win in six league outings.

Read how the action unfolded blow.


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Good evening and thank you for joining Sports Mole for live text commentary of the Serie A match between Inter Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro.

Both teams come into tonight's match in poor form and in desperate need of a win. Inter have claimed three points just once in their last 10 league games, while Sassuolo have lost seven of their last eight Serie A fixtures.

INTER MILAN XI: Handanovic, Rolando, Samuel, Jesus, Jonathan, Nagatomo, Guarin, Kuzmanovic, Hernanes, Palacio, Milito

SASSUOLO XI: Pegolo, Bianco, Cannavaro, Ariaudo, Rosi, Brighi, Marrone, Biondini, Longhi, Floccari, Berardi

INTER MILAN SUBS: Castellazzi, Carrizo, Zanetti, Andreolli, Icardi, Kovacic, Campagnaro, Mudingayi, Botta, Taider, Ranocchia, D'Ambrosio

SASSUOLO SUBS: Polito, Pomini, Antei, Pucino, Gazzola, Ziegler, Chibsah, Missiroli, Sansone, Farias, Floro Flores, Zaza

TEAM NEWS: Hernanes has been handed his debut for Inter Milan and takes his place in the midfield alongside the returning Fredy Guarin. Diego Milito is also named in the starting lineup and leads the attack alongside Rodrigo Palacio. Domenico Berardi scored four goals against AC Milan and starts up front for Sassuolo tonight, with Sergio Floccari joining him in attack. Paolo Cannavaro will play at the back for the visitors after joining on loan from Napoli last month.

Inter have not won any of their last six matches in all competitions and 3-1 defeat last weekend against Juventus marked a fifth successive away reverse. The visitors are in even worse form, and have lost their last three matches. Their shock 4-3 win against AC Milan has been their only victory since the start of December.

Inter claimed the biggest victory of the Serie A season when the two teams met back in September, as they ran out 7-0 winners at the Stadio Alberto Braglia. Their fans will be hoping for something similar this evening, but their manager Walter Mazzarri will surely just be happy with any kind of win.

The Nerazzurri's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season hang by a thread. They have slipped to sixth in the table, and are 14 points behind third-placed Napoli.

Sassuolo's woeful run has increased the chances of a quick return back to Serie B. They are 19th in the league, having picked up 17 points this season. Today's match is the first of a run of tough fixtures, with Napoli, Lazio and Parma to come in the next three weeks, before two crucial relegation six-pointers against Bologna and Catania.

PREDICTION: This game will be very different from the 7-0 thrashing that Inter handed Sassuolo in the opening weeks of the season. They have struggled since and have scored just two goals in their past five league games. If they don't find the net early on tonight, then the San Siro crowd will be on their backs, as they were in the goalless draw against Catania. Sassuolo have won only once away from home, and it is hard to see them ending their three-game losing run. I think Inter will get back to winning ways, and claim a 2-0 victory this evening.

The players are out on the pitch and we are moments away from kick off.

KICKOFF! We are underway at the San Siro!

It has been a quiet start in Milan with no goalscoring opportunities for either side so far. The home team have seen plenty of the ball, but Sassuolo are holding firm in the midfield.

The visitors almost cause an early shock as Floccari does brilliantly to burst down the right hand side before delivering a ball into the middle, but there is no one there to meet his cross.

Sassuolo are getting a lot of joy down the right and this time it is Rosi who is slipped in before crossing, but Samuel manages to put the ball behind.

Inter have not posed a serious threat to the away team so far and haven't seen much of the ball in the final third. A real problem of theirs has been scoring goals recently, and they will hope that having Hernanes and two strikers in the side will improve that today.

The home side will have a chance to get players into the box now as they win a free kick on the left hand side.

Hernanes takes the set piece, but fails to find any of his teammates in the middle and Sassuolo clear the danger.

CHANCE! Guarin picks the ball up around 30 yards out from goal and unleashes a stinging low drive that Pegolo scrambles across his goal to get a touch on. He tries to keep the ball in play but it goes out for a corner. Again from the set piece Inter are unable to take advantage as the hosts comfortably clear.

CHANCE! Inter are starting to see more of the ball in forward positions and it breaks kindly to Hernanes on the edge of the area, who takes a touch, before bending a strike inches wide of the far post.

The hosts are putting Sassuolo under a lot of pressure now, and they try to intricately play their way through, but Hernanes' attempt at a pass is cut out on the edge of the box. It comes out to Jonathan on the right wing who curls in a dangerous cross, but it is just over the head of everyone in the box.

SUBSTITUTION: The away side have been forced into an early change, as Biondini goes off injured to be replaced by Chibsah.

CHANCE! Sassuolo win a free kick on the left hand side that Berardi steps up take. He whips in a fantastic cross that is met by Ariaudo in the middle, but the defender puts his header just over the bar.

It looks like the main threat from Inter could come from their full backs, as Jonathan has been bombing down the right whenever he gets the chance. Sassuolo will also have to look out for Nagatomo on the left, who is well renowned for his forward runs into the box.

Guarin has looked lively since returning to Inter side, and does well to win his side a corner after a powerful run down the right wing.

Hernanes takes the corner and it is a good delivery, but the ball is well cleared by the Sassuolo defence. They have looked solid at the back so far and look strong in the air especially.

Sassuolo have won a free kick in a dangeerous position, around 25 yards out from goal, after a foul from Hernanes. Berardi is standing over this and looks the favourite to take it.

CHANCE! Berardi curls in the free kick towards the near post, but Handanovic is across his line quickly to push the ball around the post.

Guarin receives the ball in space inside his opponents half, and drives forward before drilling in a firece shot, but it heads wide of the far post.

Inter are getting plenty of balls into the box, and Palacio is the latest to whip in a cross from the right, but too often it has been easy for Pegolo to claim under very little pressure.

CHANCE! Nagatomo wins the ball deep inside his own half and plays a wonderful pass wide to Palacio. The striker shows his pace by bursting pace the covering defender and into the box, before pulling it back to Milito, who then sees his low effort saved by Pegolo.

CHANCE! What a golden chance for Inter to take the lead. Palacio is slipped in down the right and whips in a cross for Milito, who is unmarked in the middle, but his strike is well blocked by Pegolo. The Sassuolo goalkeeper is having a great end to the first half.

After some fine goalkeeping, Pegolo almost makes a howler as he comes for a deep cross and completely misses it. The ball falls to Palacio in the centre of the box, but he is unable to swivel and get a strike on goal.

There is going to be two minutes of added time at the end of the half.

HALF TIME: Inter Milan 0-0 Sassuolo

The first half comes to an end and it is goalless at the interval. Inter have been the better of the two teams, but have wasted some big chances to take the lead. Unless they find the net in the next 45 minutes, their winless run is set to go on.

Milito may rue missing those two strikes at the end of the half. His first attempt was mainly due to a good stop from the keeper, but Palacio's pass for the second effort made it hard for him. Instead of the ball being played on the ground, it bounced up meaning he had to take a touch, and by the time he was able to shoot the keeper was out to block.

After a sluggish start the home side have taken command of the proceedings. They have had 62% of the ball and forced nine shots on goal, to their opponent's two efforts. The only stat that really matters is the scoreline, which is how it finished when they last played at the San Siro against Catania.

The players are back out on the pitch and the second half will begin shortly.

We are back underway at the San Siro.

Inter are still looking threatening down the right hand side and Palacio beats the offside trap, before getting to the byline and attempting a cross that is blocked and goes behind for a corner.

GOAL! Inter Milan 1-0 Sassuolo (Samuel)

It has taken the home side two minutes of the second half to break the deadlock. Hernanes whips in the corner and it is met by Samuel, who powers a thumping header into the back of the net.

Inter have pegged Sassuolo deep inside their own half and are looking to quickly add a second goal in order to put this game to bed.

YELLOW CARD! Rosi is the first player booked after a poor challenge from behind on Palacio.

Guarin has had plenty of efforts on goal tonight, and he tries his luck from range again after being fed the ball just outside the area, but he gets underneath the ball and lashes his strike high over the bar.

Berardi is lucky to avoid a booking after appearing to kick out at Jesus as the two fought for the ball. It was good he didn't make much contact, as the referee would have had a decision to make over what colour card to give out.

Inter are still getting in down the right hand side far too easily, with Guarin and Jonathan constantly being found in acres of space. It is an area the visitors have struggled with all night.

CHANCE! Inter play some fine football on the left, before finding Hernanes just outside the box. He whips in a cross that the keeper comes out and punches. It is only cleared to Jonathan, but with time to control his effort, he fires a wild strike over the bar.

The home side are almost in again, as Milito is slipped into the box, before curling a strike into the arms of the keeper. The flag was raised though, so the strike would not have counted had it found the back of the net.

SUBSTITUTION: Inter make a change, with Milito heading off to be replaced by Botta.

YELLOW CARD! Botta has only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes, and is booked for not moving out the way of a free kick.

CHANCE! Palacio is found again with a ball over the top, and waits for support in the area. He then plays it across goal for the arriving Hernanes, who lashes in a low strike that is well beaten away by the keeper.

SUBSTITUTION: The visitors make another change, with Missiroli replacing Bianco.

The home side are still seeing plenty of the ball in the attacking half, and Hernanes does well to feed it wide to Jonathan, who sees his low ball across goal dived upon by the keeper with Palacio lurking behind him.

Sassuolo have had chances to get forward, but every time they get the ball in a decent area they cheaply give it away. While they are only a goal behind, there is always a chance for them to get something from this match, especially when you look at Inter's recent form.

SUBSTITUTION: Sassuolo make their final change of the match, as Floro Flores comes on for Floccari.

SUBSTITUTION: Inter also make a change, as goalscorer Samuel heads off to be replaced by Campagnaro.

Berardi has looked one of Sassuolo's brightest sparks this evening and bursts down the left before curling a wonderful ball across the box, but none of his teammates had made a run with Jonathan able to comfortably clear.

CHANCE! Palacio has been a great outlet for Inter all evening and he is found again in acres of space. He charges towards the box, before finding Botta in acres of space, but the midfielder drills his shot just over the bar.

SUBSTITUTION: Inter make their final change of the match, with Taider replacing Kuzmanovic.

The hosts are looking to play the ball around and keep hold of possession as they try to see out the game. It would be a huge boost for them to claim a vital win after their poor start to 2014.

We are going to have two minutes of stoppage time.

CHANCE! Inter come close twice as first Guarin sees a powerful low effort saved, before Botta has a thunderous strike beaten away by the keeper.

FULL TIME: Inter Milan 1-0 Sassuolo

The game comes to an end and Inter have won for the first time in 2014. Walter Samuel's thumping header just after the break has proved to be difference this evening.

It was a well deserved win for Inter who up to sixth in the table, while Sassuolo are still deep in trouble in 19th place.

That's all we've got time for here. Please stay with us at Sports Mole for all of the weekend's results and the latest news. Goodbye!

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Inter Milan's Argentinian forward Rodrigo Sebastian Palacio scores during the Italian Serie A football match Inter Milan vs Parma on December 8, 2013
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