Serie A leaders Inter Milan lose to Sassuolo

Reuters , Sunday 10 Jan 2016

Sassuolo beats Serie A leader Inter 1-0 with late penalty at San Siro

Milan
Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi reacts at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Sassuolo, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016. Sassuolo won 1-0 (AP)

Domenico Berardi converted a penalty in the fifth minute of injury time on Sunday to give Sassuolo a shock 1-0 win away to Serie A leaders Inter Milan, who dominated the match but were repeatedly foiled by the visitors' goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.

Berardi sent Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic the wrong way to complete an extraordinary win for Sassuolo, who were beaten 7-0 in the same fixture last season, as Inter coach Roberto Mancini watched in disbelief.

The penalty was awarded after Inter defender Jeisson Murillo mistimed a header, then team mate Miranda clumsily bundled over Gregoire Defrel as the hosts made a pig's ear of dealing with an innocuous Sassuolo attack.

Inter missed a flurry of early chances and when Adem Ljajic finally managed to get a curling effort on target just before halftime, his effort was brilliantly tipped away by Consigli.

Consigli again denied the Serbian after the break, then did well to parry away a low drive from Geoffrey Kondogbia as he kept sixth-placed Sassuolo in the game.

In an end-to-end game, Inter forward Rodrigo Palacio had a shot cleared off the line while, at the other end, Handanovic made a superb reflex save at close range to stop an acrobatic volley from Antonio Floro Flores.

Consigli again denied Ljajic and turned away a curling effort from substitute Stevan Jovetic before Berardi struck for Sassuolo.

Inter have 39 points from 19 games, one ahead of Napoli who play at Frosinone later on Sunday (1400 GMT), and three clear of Juventus, who travel to meet Sampdoria (1945). 

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