By Olaitan Ibrahim
AC Milan delivered a commanding performance in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, thrashing Sassuolo 6-1 at the San Siro.
The match featured an electric start from Samuel Chukwueze, who netted a stunning first-half brace to set the tone for Milan’s dominance.
Chukwueze opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a composed finish and doubled his tally just nine minutes later for the third goal. The Nigerian winger’s clinical display energised the home crowd and set Milan on a path of relentless attacking football.
Tijjani Reijnders scored the second goal in the 17th minute, while Rafael Leão extended the lead to 4-0 in the 23rd minute.
Milan’s captain, Davide Calabria, joined the scoresheet in the second half with a 56th-minute strike before Tammy Abraham capped off the rout with a goal in the 61st minute.
Sassuolo managed to pull one back in the 59th minute through Samuele Mulattieri, but it was little more than a consolation in an otherwise one-sided encounter.
Milan’s dominance was evident in the statistics, with the Rossoneri enjoying 71 per cent possession and completing 708 passes with a 91 per cent accuracy rate, compared to Sassuolo’s 301 passes at 80 per cent accuracy.
The Rossoneri registered 15 shots, with eight on target, while Sassuolo struggled to create opportunities, managing just four shots in total.