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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
1Atalanta BCAtalanta17131342192340
2Napoli17122326121438
3Inter Milan15104140152534
4Lazio1711153224834
5Fiorentina1594228111731
6Juventus17710028131531
7Bologna167722318528
8AC Milan167542516926
9Udinese166281925-620
10Roma175482323019
11Empoli174761619-319
12Torino175481722-519
13Genoa173771426-1216
14Lecce174491129-1816
15Parma173682333-1015
16Como163671828-1015
17Hellas VeronaHellas Verona1750122140-1915
18CagliariCagliari173591628-1214
19VeneziaVenezia1734101730-1313
20Monza171791523-810


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