AC Milan left the Sassuolo game with only a point from the sixth round of Serie A, even though Adrien Rabiot was their clearest individual bright spot. He scored the opener in the 63rd minute, Milan had 59% of the ball and still ended up in a 1-1 draw at the MAPEI Stadium.
Rabiot's influence
Rabiot's performance was backed by a 7.88 rating, which fits the eye test here. He broke the deadlock with a strike from the left side of the box, and that was his third Serie A goal of the season to go with two assists. On the night, Milan had more of the ball and more of the threat, but their best player still could not turn control into three points.
The match report described Matteo Gabbia's injury and the equaliser in the same breath, and that is about right for how the game swung. Gabbia was forced off on a stretcher in the 20th minute after an injury while contesting Armand Laurienté, then Cas Odenthal levelled in the 68th minute from a corner. Sassuolo also had a goal ruled out on 88 minutes for a foul in the build-up.
Why Milan could not pull away
Milan's 59% possession looked like control, but the balance of the game never fully settled in their favour. Sassuolo managed only four shots on target and still found a way back into it through a set piece, which says plenty about how fragile Milan's advantage was once the first goal went in.
There was also the issue of game state. A side that loses Gabbia early and then sees its lead cancelled out within five minutes of scoring has to live with the point, but not much else. Milan did enough to create the better stretches, yet the finishing edge was missing when the match needed a second goal.
Rabiot will take the individual praise from this one. Milan, though, will be left looking at the 63rd-minute lead they built and the 68th-minute equaliser that took it away.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
