Tammy Abraham broke his two-month Serie A goal drought, but Andrea Pinamonti snatched a point for Sassuolo to further dampen Roma’s current form.
Jose Mourinho had to shake off Derby della Capitale disappointment, but Lorenzo Pellegrini joined Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Spinazzola and Georginio Wijnaldum on the absentee list, with Tammy Abraham and Andrea Belotti dropped. Armand Laurienté returned from suspension, though Gregoire Defrel and Mert Muldur were still injured for the hosts, who were coming off back-to-back defeats.
Luca D’Andrea drilled onto the side-netting and Rui Patricio flew to fingertip a Davide Frattesi scorcher out from under the crossbar.
There was a double chance at each end, as first Andrea Pinamonti resisted the urge to go down as Rui Patricio ran towards him, then Roma countered from that move and Eldor Shomurodov was denied by Andrea Consigli’s legs.
Laurienté squirmed between defenders for a curler that skimmed the far top corner and Frattesi nodded over from a corner.
Consigli ran a huge risk when rushing outside his penalty area to counter Shomurodov, but managed to avoid a foul.
Nicola Zalewski had a big chance to give Roma the lead on the stroke of half-time, but volleyed over with the inside of the left boot from a Zeki Celik cross.
Sassuolo had a huge chance on 76 minutes when Laurienté rolled across for unmarked Hamed Junior Traore, who took a heavy first touch, allowing Rui Patricio to come flying out for the block.
Roma finally broke the deadlock and above all Tammy Abraham ended his Serie A drought of two months and seven games coming off the bench with a towering header at the near post on Gianluca Mancini’s cross from the right.
However, Sassuolo hit back when Laurienté flew down the left and pulled back from the by-line for Pinamonti’s flick from five yards, getting in front of Chris Smalling at the near post.
Sassuolo 1-1 Roma
Abraham 80 (R), Pinamonti 85 (S)
Bye Bye!