Inter crashes to seal Roma’s Champions League berth
Inter Milan crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Sassuolo at the San Siro, which ensured that Roma get to play Champions League football next season.
Matteo Politano and Domenico Berardi scored in either half with Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli proving heroic for the visitors to severely undermine Inter’s slim hopes of elite European action.
The defeat means thirdplaced Roma — coached by former Sassuolo boss Eusebio Di Francesco — are sure to finish in the top four and return to the Champions League after losing in the semi-finals to Liverpool this month.
Roma host champions Juventus on Sunday with the Turin giants needing just a point to seal a seventhstraight Scudetto.
Inter are two points behind fourth-placed Lazio who can rubber stamp their ticket to the Champions League if they beat lowly Crotone on Sunday. If not, both Lazio and Inter go head-to-head next week in the Stadio Olimpico.
Coach Luciano Spalletti lamented a “messy and confused” performance which failed to reflect Inter’s dominance.
“It’s never the fault of a single player, after going a goal down we had plenty of time to do things calmly and take the game to crush them,” said Spalletti.
“After the second goal the team lost its balance and chaotically tried to get back into the game.
The result is also down to our own mistakes. Sassuolo probably felt comfortable after securing their Serie A safety.
“At times we were too chaotic and rushed, but we had the time. Andrea Consigli made two or three fantastic saves.”
Sassuolo had secured their Serie A safety last week. And coach Beppe Iachini said his side had come out firing after hearing that Inter were aiming to get six past them to even out the goal difference with Lazio.