Inter Milan vs. Sassuolo: Winners and Losers from Serie a Game
With a 7-0 demolition of Sassuolo, Inter Milan got their Serie A campaign well and truly underway at the San Siro on Sunday.
Following a disappointing 0-0 draw in week 1 against Torino, the Nerazzurri put together a fearsome attacking performance that indicates they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Mauro Icardi grabbed a hat-trick, Dani Osvaldo a double and Mateo Kovacic and Fredy Guarin a goal apiece in the rout.
Sassuolo, meanwhile, have put their hands up as prime relegation contenders in the wake of a listless display.
Here are some of the winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Mauro Icardi
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Though Osvaldo pulled out the iconic machine-gun goal celebration, it was Icardi's display which conjured memories of the great Argentine No. 9 Gabriel Batistuta.
The youngster is emerging as a truly impressive striker, which should give fans of both Inter and Argentina cause for optimism.
Icardi's first goal was somewhat scrappy, but the second was pure class, as he fired into the net with power and accuracy from outside the box.
His third was a delight as well, slammed into the top corner with his left foot from a tight angle.
The 21-year-old looked to be in fine form coming into the 2014-15 season and now has the goals to prove it.
Loser: Poor Sassuolo
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It is hard to single out one area of Sassuolo's play, such as the defence, to blame for this loss, as the team was terrible all over the park.
Their midfield was completely overrun by Inter, and 30 minutes into the game, by which point the Nerazzurri had nabbed their third goal, the defence appeared to have given up almost entirely.
The Neroverdi narrowly escaped relegation last season, and this showing will have everyone involved with the club very worried about their chances of staying up this time around.
Winner: Mateo Kovacic
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Croatian playmaker Kovacic was granted far too much space by his opponents on Sunday and took full advantage with a wonderful attacking performance.
Even leaving aside his goal, the 20-year-old was brilliant when dribbling the ball deep into the attacking zone and creating chances for his teammates.
Inter may have found their chief playmaker for many years to come.
Loser: Domenico Berardi
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To further compound the dire situation confronting Sassuolo, key forward Domenico Berardi got himself sent off on the hour mark by committing a senseless foul.
His side were never going to come back into the game, but Berardi did not make surviving Inter's onslaught any easier for his companions when he lashed out with an elbow at Juan Jesus.
It was his second red card in just 31 matches, and he will need to work on his discipline if he harbours dreams of featuring regularly for the Italian national team.
Winner: Gary Medel
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With many of their most popular players moving on over the summer, Inter need others to take over the mantle as crowd favourites at the San Siro.
The likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti might be gone, but Gary Medel could become a new talisman for the Nerazzurri.
The rugged Chilean put in a typically tenacious display against Sassuolo, which was part of the reason his side were so dominant in midfield.
The San Siro faithful reacted with enthusiasm to his energy and passion as well, praising every crunching tackle and smart interception with loud cheers.
If Medel can keep it up, he will make it very hard for Walter Mazzarri to leave him out of Inter's starting XI.
