REGGIO EMILIA, Italy (Interstat) — Sassuolo defeated AC Milan 2-0 on Sunday at Mapei Stadium - Città del Tricolore, a dominant performance that handed the visitors a loss to open the Serie A campaign.

Domenico Berardi put Sassuolo ahead in the fifth minute, finishing a sequence that began with a cross from defender Ulisses Garcia. The goal stood as the only score of the first half after AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori was sent off in the 24th minute for a straight red card, leaving the visitors a man down for more than 65 minutes. Tomori, a substitute who had entered the match earlier, had already received a yellow card in the ninth minute.

Armand Lauriente doubled the lead early in the second half, scoring in the 47th minute after assists from midfielder Cristian Volpato and forward Alieu Fadera. The goal deflated any hope of an AC Milan comeback, as the visitors managed few clear chances while playing a man short.

Berardi’s goal was the game’s decisive moment. The forward, who recorded a statline of one goal, also drew defensive attention that opened space for his teammates. Garcia, Volpato and Fadera each finished with one assist. Tomori, despite his brief appearance, also recorded an assist and a yellow card before his ejection. Midfielder Nemanja Matic received a yellow card in the 38th minute for AC Milan.

The match featured numerous bookings. In addition to the early yellow for Tomori, Matic was cautioned in the 38th minute. Garcia received a yellow in the 57th minute. Samuele Ricci was booked in the 71st minute for Sassuolo. Ruben Loftus-Cheek of AC Milan saw yellow in the 77th minute. Volpato was booked in the 89th minute, and Fadera received a yellow in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Sassuolo outshot AC Milan and controlled possession for large stretches, taking advantage of the numerical superiority after Tomori’s dismissal. The home side’s defensive organization limited AC Milan to shots from distance, none of which troubled goalkeeper Alessio Cragno.

The result gave Sassuolo a 1-0 record in Serie A and across all competitions. AC Milan fell to 0-1 in the league and across all competitions.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Sassuolo 1, AC Milan 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Sassuolo with a 58.40 percent probability to win.