Reggio Emilia – AC Milan drew 0-0 with Sassuolo on Tuesday, as the acquisition of the club by the American investment fund RedBird neared completion.
With the draw in Reggio Emilia, champions Milan went to the top of Serie A, returning after 100 days to the site of their Scudetto win.
However, five teams are only one point behind them, including Roma, who will host Monza on Tuesday evening.
Domenico Berardi missed a first-half penalty and was removed to the dressing rooms shortly after halftime with what appeared to be a thigh injury. Sassuolo remain 10th with five points, but will be anxious about the status of their talisman Domenico Berardi.
Milan defender Simon Kjaer told DAZN following his return from a nine-month absence due to a catastrophic knee injury, “We missed a little of lucidity and cutting edge in some instances, and that is what we need to focus on tomorrow.”
Elliott Management’s sale of Milan to RedBird is anticipated to be finalized by the end of the week, with rumors swirling that the New York Yankees will also acquire a stake in the club.
Main Street Advisors, a California-based investment firm whose partners include basketball star LeBron James and artist Drake, is one of the investors financing RedBird’s acquisition, according to a story from the Financial Times on Tuesday.
On the field, the unbeaten league leaders underwhelmed as coach Stefano Pioli made many substitutions in advance of Saturday’s Milan derby with Inter — who face Cremonese later without Romelu Lukaku due to injury — and next Tuesday’s opening Champions League match at Salzburg.
One of these adjustments was Kjaer’s return to the starting lineup with Fikayo Tomori.
The 33-year-old lasted 79 minutes and will be trying to remain healthy for the November start of the World Cup in Qatar, where his national team Denmark will compete in Group D against France, Tunisia, and Australia.
“It has required a great deal of effort and sacrifice. I’m eager to return to the field and assist my squad “Kjaer added.
Alessandro Florenzi and Alexis Saelemaekers conspired to foul Giorgos Kyriakopoulos and give Sassuolo a penalty midway through the first half, when Milan should have been behind by a goal.
However, France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, so frequently Milan’s savior, reached magnificently to his right to save Berardi’s penalty kick.
12 minutes after halftime, Pioli substituted Sandro Tonali, Junior Messias, and Charles De Ketelaere in an effort to improve his team’s lackluster performance.
However, little changed, and Pioli also lost Florenzi to injury as the match entered seven minutes of stoppage time, which were no more interesting than the remainder of the dreary contest.
AFP