AC Milan 1-2 Sassuolo: Zaza strike gives Rossoneri rubbish start to new year

AC Milan stumbled in their first game of 2015 as Simone Zaza's brilliant second-half strike allowed Sassuolo to triumph 2-1 at San Siro on Tuesday.


Heading into the game just five points off the top three and boosted by the loan capture of Alessio Cerci from Atletico Madrid, Filippo Inzaghi's Milan hoped to kick-start their push towards a potential Champions League berth in their opening Serie A match of 2015.


However, Milan were instead frustrated by a determined Sassuolo side that fought back brilliantly to claim a surprise victory.

Midfielder Andrea Poli opened the scoring in the eighth minute from close range, but the hosts were never able to take full control of the game and Nicola Sansone levelled for Eusebio Di Francesco's men shortly before the half-hour mark with a powerful low strike.

And the turnaround was completed in the 68th minute by Zaza, whose magnificent volley from a corner silenced the San Siro crowd and condemned Milan to only their fourth league defeat of the season.