AC Milan 6-1 Sassuolo: Rossoneri cruise into Coppa Italia quarterfinals with dominant win
AC Milan comfortably defeated Serie B team Sassuolo with a commanding 6-1 victory at the San Siro on Tuesday, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. Samuel Chukwueze was instrumental, scoring two goals in the first half.
The match effectively ended as a contest by the 23rd minute, as Chukwueze's two goals, combined with strikes from Tijjani Reijnders and Rafael Leao, established a 4-0 advantage for Milan.
Although the pace of the game slowed after halftime, Milan extended their lead with a fifth goal from Davide Calabria just 11 minutes into the second half. Sassuolo managed to score a consolation goal through Samuele Mulattieri three minutes later, but Tammy Abraham capped off the scoring in the 61st minute.
Chukwueze initiated the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a long ball from Reijnders that set him up for a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. After his initial shot hit the post, he was quick to tap in the rebound.
Reijnders then found the net with a powerful shot from outside the box five minutes later, and Chukwueze added his second goal in the 21st minute, curling a shot past the goalkeeper following a lay-off from Abraham.
Just two minutes later, a clever no-look pass from Ruben Loftus-Cheek located Leao in the penalty area, who struck a powerful shot into the far corner.
Milan's manager, Paulo Fonseca, made eight changes to the starting lineup that had defeated Empoli 3-0 over the weekend, and he introduced four substitutes at the beginning of the second half.
One of the substitutes, Christian Pulisic, delivered a lofted cross that struck the post, allowing Calabria to react swiftly and convert the rebound.
Mulattieri's attempt slipped under Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani, another substitute, providing Sassuolo with a moment of celebration. However, Abraham concluded the scoring by slotting the ball past Sassuolo's goalkeeper, Giacomo Satalino.
In another match that evening, Bologna triumphed over Monza with a 4-0 victory, with Santiago Castro standing out by contributing one goal and three assists.
Milan will now face the winner of the last 16 match between AS Roma and Sampdoria.
SportsLigue