AC Milan faced a challenging match against Sassuolo at San Siro, settling for a 2-2 draw that keeps the Serie A title race highly competitive. The result leaves Milan at the top of the table with 32 points from 15 matches, just one point ahead of Napoli, who are set to play 12th-placed Udinese later today. Sassuolo currently occupies ninth place with 21 points.
The visitors stunned Milan early in the match. In the 13th minute, a clever layoff from Andrea Pinamonti found midfielder Ismaël Koné, who expertly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Mike Maignan to put Sassuolo ahead. The goal put pressure on the home side, who needed to respond quickly.
Just before half-time, Milan equalised through a well-coordinated attack. Luka Modric delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the right flank. Loftus-Cheek then crossed the ball to left-back Davide Bartesaghi, who scored with a powerful shot into the bottom corner, marking his first goal for Milan.
Bartesaghi struck again shortly after the break, scoring in the 47th minute to give Milan a 2-1 lead. His goal raised hopes among the home fans for a crucial victory. However, those hopes were dashed in the 77th minute when Sassuolo’s Armand Lauriente broke free from defender Fikayo Tomori and fired a shot into the far corner, equalising for the visitors.
The draw means that if Napoli fail to secure a win against Udinese, Inter Milan could take advantage by going a point clear with a victory against Genoa. Meanwhile, Bologna, currently in fifth place, will host Juventus in the evening match.
In other news, Real Sociedad parted ways with their head coach, Sergio Francisco, following a disappointing run that culminated in a 2-1 loss to Girona. This defeat marked the club’s third consecutive loss in La Liga, leaving them in 15th place with 16 points from 16 matches. Jon Ansotegi, manager of the club’s B team, will take over as caretaker for the remaining fixtures before Christmas.
In the Valencia region, heavy rain led to the postponement of the Sunday match between Levante and Villarreal. La Liga announced the decision based on safety recommendations from local authorities amid ongoing weather alerts.
As the football action continues across Europe, Bayern Munich will host Mainz, while Borussia Dortmund travels to Freiburg. In Spain, Real Madrid will aim to reduce Barcelona’s lead to four points with a match against Alavés, and in Ligue 1, Lens could reclaim the top spot with a win over Nice.
This story will be updated as more matches unfold and results come in.
