Milan, Jan 13 (IANS) Domenico Berardi struck four goals to secure a sensational 4-3 win for Serie A strugglers Sassuolo against Italian football giants AC Milan while Juventus, Roma and Napoli won in style.
The Milan side went 2-0 up with only 13 minutes into play thanks to goals from Robinho and Mario Balotelli, but Berardi netted a hat-trick before the break to turn the game on its head here Sunday, reports Xinhua.
The 19-year-old added a fourth goal early in the second half and Sassuolo held on to move out of the bottom three, despite a Riccardo Montolivo goal which set up a grandstand finish.
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AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri suggested something strange in his side’s sensational loss.
“It’s an ugly defeat, a strange one because we were 2-0 up after 13 minutes and it all seemed easy. We conceded three goals, almost all identical, in the first half,” he said.
“You can concede goals, that can happen, but not like this,” he added.
Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco said the system he employed was the key to his side’s win.
“I went back to how we played last season, with a 4-3-3, and realized we were able to spread the play better. I am pleased that all the goals were well-worked team moves coordinated with Berardi’s movement,” he said.
Serie A leaders Juventus made new club winning streak record as they came from behind to defeat Cagliari 4-1 to score their 11th consecutive win.
Mauricio Pinilla put Cagliari in front, but his day ended badly with a late red card which completed the hosts’ misery.
Fernando Llorente levelled it up before half-time and Claudio Marchisio, just on as a substitute, made it 2-1 with a fine strike. Llorente tapped in the third before the impressive Stephan Lichtsteiner made it 4-1.
Roma thrashed Genoa 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to keep up the chase of Juventus at the top.
A stunning Alessandro Florenzi overhead kick was followed by goals from Francesco Totti, Maicon and Medhi Benatia as the Giallorossi bounced back from their first defeat of the season last weekend.
Genoa ended the game with 10 men after Francesco Matuzalem was shown a red card on the hour mark.
Napoli mounted pressure on Roma and Juventus with a convincing 3-0 win at Hellas Verona.
The visitors went ahead after 27 minutes through Dries Mertens, and Lorenzo Insigne and Blerim Dzemaili scored apiece in four second-half minutes to seal victory.
Rafael Benitez’s side remain in third, two points behind Roma but 10 adrift of leaders Juventus.
The absence of injured Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez was painfully felt as Fiorentina drew a blank in a 0-0 draw at Torino.
For only the third time this season the Viola failed to find the back of the net.
Atalanta claimed their first victory in two months with a 2-1 triumph over rock-bottom Catania.
The outcome was Atalanta’s sixth win of the campaign, their first since November 10, and moved the Bergamo side to 12th in the standings.
