AC Milan held by Sassuolo while Inter get back to winning ways

(Football news) Sassuolo held AC Milan to an enterprising 0-0 draw after Domenico Berardi missed a first-half penalty as Milan fans had keeper Mike Maignan to thank for salvaging the draw after he superbly saved Berardi's penalty kick in the 23rd minute. The penalty was awarded after Alessandro Florenzi tripped up Greek international Georgios Kyriakopoulos. Davide Frattesi threatened AC Milan with a header close to the end of first half but was promptly denied by the superb Maignan.

Berardi after his missed penalty kick picked up an injury early into the second half after a collision with Theo Hernandez. Florenzi also left the pitch after sustaining an injury in the 90th minute while tackling Rogerio as Milan subsequently were left with 10 men in the end, manager Stefano Pioli had used up all his substitutions in hope of getting the winner. Pioli told the media that Florenzi had suffered a serious muscle injury and he hopes Ante Rebic and Divock Origi are available for the next game. Rafael Leao had the best chance to snatch a last-gasp victory for Milan after Charles De Ketelaere found him with a beautiful pass at the edge of the box, but his strike was saved by keeper Andrea Consigli.

"We lost lucidity in the second half, playing frantically and without managing to win a game that could have been won," Pioli told the reporters. "We played as if we were two minutes away from the end of the match [all the time]."

Inter Milan earned a comfortable 3-1 home win over Cremonese in their fourth match of the season on Tuesday as Nicolo Barella scored a brilliant first-half goal. Joaquin Correa opened the scoring when he slotted home an easy finish in the 12th minute from a rebound after Cremonese keeper Ionut Radu saved Edin Dzeko’s effort. Barella then brilliantly doubled the lead in the 38th minute after the Italian international stunned the Cremonese defence by firing a power shot from long distance following a cross from Hakan Calhanoglu. Cremonese tried their best to fight back after Inter's opener and created a few chances in the first half.

Cyriel Dessers then went close to scoring as his powerful effort was saved by Samir Handanovic. Substitute Lautaro Martinez put the icing on the cake when he scored in the 76th minute following a quick counterattack initiated by Barella. Martinez, who was Inter's top goalscorer last season, has now either scored or assisted in each of the first four games of the season. However, Cremonese did not go down without a fight and had plenty of efforts in the second half as David Okereke scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute. Okereke, who joined Cremonese from Club Brugge this summer caught everyone by surprise with a brilliant long-range finish, his second goal of the season.

"I really wanted the goal, we wanted a victory after the defeat in Rome [against Lazio]. We started with the right mentality, we earned the important points," Martinez told the media

"I am very happy, we won a match which was not easy against a team who earned less than they deserved," Inter manager Simone Inzaghi told the media

The other results were: