Serie A | Inter 1-2 Sassuolo: Berardi stuns San Siro again

Inter have lost their unbeaten record and are caught at the top of the table by Milan after fumbling a lead in nine minutes for a shock home defeat to Sassuolo.

The Nerazzurri were eager to keep their perfect start going, remaining the only unbeaten side still in Serie A after six rounds, but Marko Arnautovic, Juan Cuadrado and Stefano Sensi were injured. Sassuolo beat Juventus 4-2 at the weekend and welcomed back Andrea Consigli from injury.

Marcus Thuram went sprinting down the right and Consigli got a leg to the pull-back, making it difficult for Lautaro Martinez to make the tap-in.

Inter were almost caught out on the counter-attack when Matteo Darmian made a stunning and very risky sliding tackle on Andrea Pinamonti.

Thuram nodded over from six yards on the Denzel Dumfries cross, then Martin Erlic prevented him from getting on the end of another Dumfries assist.

Sassuolo had a big scoring opportunity when Berardi’s back-heel flick released Jeremie Toljan just inside the box, forcing Yann Sommer into a flying save.

Sommer was again called into action by Nedim Bajrami’s strike, but instead it was Inter who scored on the stroke of half-time.

Dumfries down the right had initially tried to roll it across for his teammates, but then took on Matias Vina, cut inside and placed a precise left-foot finish into the far bottom corner.

There was another huge scare in stoppages, because Hakan Calhanoglu mis-placed the header back to Sommer, who again had to come rushing out to deny Bajrami.

Erlic made another crucial interception with Lautaro Martinez ready to pounce on the loose ball, but the defender really should’ve equalised when his free header skimmed the far post on a Berardi cross after Sassuolo’s corner routine.

The warning signs were there and Sassuolo managed to equalise when Berardi laid it off for Bajrami, whose angled drive surprised Sommer by squirming under his body at the near post from 12 yards.

Inter still weren’t prepared as Sassuolo turned it around completely, a moment of magic from Berardi who cut inside from distance and curled a magnificent left-foot strike into the far bottom corner.

Simone Inzaghi thought Consigli had fouled Davide Frattesi when rushing out to fingertip the Carlos Augusto cross off his feet, but the referee and VAR ruled he had got to the ball first.

There were penalty appeals waved away, as the referee had spotted an Alexis Sanchez push on Matheus Henrique first, while Klaassen made his Inter debut in the final minutes and Armand Lauriente wasted one golden opportunity, then forced a flying save out of Sommer.

In stoppages, Francesco Acerbi managed a chest and volley on a ball over the top, but aimed it straight at Consigli, while Lautaro Martinez turned wide after good work from Dumfries.

Inter 1-2 Sassuolo

Dumfries 45 (I), Bajrami 54 (S), Berardi 63 (S)