ROSSONERE PEGGED BACK AT THE DEATH: 2‑2 AGAINST SASSUOLO
Women
A stinging blow at the death denied us three points we thoroughly deserved. The Rossonere, down to ten from the 58th minute after Dompig's red card, were pegged back late on by Sassuolo despite having gone two goals up early in the second half. Park's strike (her first in Rossonere colours) and Ijeh's goal were wiped out by Clelland and then Sabatino, who headed home against her former side in the 97th minute. It finished 2-2, then, and it's a scoreline that doesn't do justice to an excellent performance from Suzanne Bakker's side, already hampered by a host of absences.
After the defeat in Seregno, the Rossonere had carved out a two-goal cushion thanks to Park and Ijeh, who both made the most of two assists from Cernoia, the standout performer in Fiorenzuola. However, Chanté Dompig's straight red card in the 58th minute inevitably swung the momentum of the match. Sassuolo pulled one back through a Clelland cross-shot in the 74th minute and equalised when Sabatino headed home deep into stoppage time. The Rossonere will be back in action on 6 December, when they face Napoli on matchday 8.
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM AC MILAN v SASSUOLO
MATCH REPORT
Right from the off, the Rossonere created a big chance: Dompig hit a left-footed volley from close range but sent it over the bar. Sassuolo posed no threat at all in the first half, while AC Milan kept pushing. A deflected left-footed attempt from Van Dooren fell kindly for Ijeh, who unfortunately slipped at the crucial moment. Bakker's side went close again in the 27th minute through Koivisto, back in the starting XI, who cut in from the right and struck with her left but failed to keep it down. In the 35th minute, a powerful right-footed strike from Dompig flew over by a matter of centimetres. With plenty of errors and players losing their footing on a tricky pitch, the first 45 minutes ended goalless.
Bakker brought on Park for Grimshaw at half-time, and it was the Korean who opened the scoring just two minutes later, heading home a Cernoia cross. A few minutes later, after a Dompig chance on the counter, AC Milan doubled their lead: Cernoia's low ball set up Ijeh, who controlled and tucked a left-footed finish into the far corner to make it 2-0. The match was under control until the 58th minute, when Dompig was sent off for a challenge on Nash. Sassuolo, with the numerical advantage, pulled one back through Clelland in the 74th minute and equalised through Sabatino in the dying seconds - two moments that snatched victory away from the Rossonere.
MATCH DETAILS
AC MILAN 2-2 SASSUOLO
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Giuliani; Koivisto, De Sanders, Piga, Arrigoni; Cernoia (86' Cesarini), Mascarello, Grimshaw (46' Park); Van Dooren, Ijeh, Dompig. Subs: Belloli, Estévez Ogalla; Bonanomi, Donolato; Appiah, Kyvåg. Coach: Bakker.
SASSUOLO (4-3-3): Durand; Brustia (29'st Skupien), Nash, Caiazzo, Philtjens (41'st Sabatino); Missipo, Fercocq (29'st Dhont), Hagemann; Galabadaarachchi; Eto, Clelland. Subs: Benz, De Bona; Brignoli, Chaib, De Rita, Filis, Perselli, Santoro, Venturelli. Coach: Spugna.
Referee: Bozzetto from Bergamo.
Goals: 47' Park (M), 55' Ijeh (M), 74' Clelland (S), 90+7' Sabatino (S).
Sent off: 58' Dompig (M).
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