Sassuolo 1-1 AC Milan (4-5 pens): Rossoneri win Trofeo TIM in dramatic fashion

Date: 13th August 2015 at 7:58am
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AC Milan triumphed 5-4 on penalties against Sassuolo to lift the Trofeo TIM at the Mapei Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Both sides went into the match hoping to lift the trophy with a win-a-piece, and for a long period it looked as if Sassuolo would reign victorious thanks to an early opener from Alfred Duncan.

However it was not to be as Milan clawed their way back into the game in the dying seconds, through substitute Antonio Nocerino. With the game forced to penalties Milan proved strongest from the spot as Nocerino aptly scored the winner, with misses from Domenico Berardi and Francesco Acerbi proving costly for the home side.

Milan gave the hosts an early scare as Philippe Mexes forced an excellent save out of Andrea Consigli after he sent in a stinging volley, with the keeper also required to react smartly on the rebound.

Suso was next to have a crack for Milan, as he tried his luck from over 20-yards, yet the Spaniard could only slice the ball horribly wide.

However, Sassuolo refused to be pegged back so early on and began to retaliate. An initial shot from Antonio Floro Flores announced the hosts’ intent, before former Inter-man Duncan opened the scoring from nowhere.

The 22-year-old Ghanaian sprinted onto the end a through ball, leaving new Milan signing Alessio Romagnoli in his wake. All that was left to do was to slot the ball beyond the keeper, which he did so calmly.

From then on the Neroverdi looked in control of the game, as they began to terrorise the Milan defence at will. Berardi managed to break into the box a few times, though his finishing failed him when it came to pulling the trigger.

It then took the Rossoneri until the 30th minute to have any real sense of freedom in the game, as they finally broke loose of their chains and pushed out of their own half.

Attacks from Alessio Cerci and Alessandro Matri proved null however, as they were continuously denied by Eusebio Di Francesco’s men in the final third. All hope eventually seemed loss as Cerci was denied a comeback goal just five minutes from time, as substitute Acerbi produced a miraculous clearance on the line.

Yet somehow the Diavoli were thrown a lifeline. Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic decided to make changes in a last gasp attempt to alter the outcome of the match, bringing on midfielder Antonio Nocerino, a substitution which ultimately proved to be most fortuitous.

The Italian picked up the ball on the edge of the box just as the clock ticked in to the final seconds of the game, and just as many were ready to hear the blasts of the final whistle, he curled an attempt into the top right corner, saving Milan’s blushes.

The players were then forced to settle the match via spot kicks, and after misses from Berardi and Acerbi, the final penalty was rather fittingly left to Nocerino, and unlike his opponents the 30-year-old made no mistake, blasting the ball down the middle.

This is now the second successive time Milan have won the tournament, after beating Juventus and Sassuolo in the 2014 edition of the tournament.

 

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