Sassuolo pulled off a surprising victory over Inter Milan, the reigning champions, with a 1-0 scoreline, giving them a much-needed boost in their fight against relegation.

Sassuolo pulled off a stunning upset as they once again got the better of Inter Milan, ending the newly-crowned champions’ long unbeaten run and boosting their own chances of survival with a 1-0 victory at the Mapei Stadium.

Back in September, Davide Ballardini’s Neroverdi became the only team to defeat The Nerazzurri in Serie A, and they set themselves up for a repeat performance when Armand Lauriente fired in Josh Doig’s pass from the left after 20 minutes.

Inter, who made several changes to their starting lineup, came close to equalizing when Denzel Dumfries narrowly missed the far post. Their frustration grew just before half-time when Lautaro Martinez’s goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Sassuolo growing in confidence and the visitors struggling to create many chances despite dominating possession.

This result means that Sassuolo have achieved an unlikely double over the champions, being the only team to defeat Inter in Serie A this season.

More importantly, it gives the Neroverdi genuine hope of avoiding relegation as they remain in 19th place but move within two points of safety.