Looking to beat Bologna for the first time in three years, Sassuolo created and spurned two openings to break the deadlock inside the first half an hour at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Both of those opportunities fell into the way of Andrea Pinamonti, who failed to make the desired connection with an effort that was pushed around the post, before being denied by Federico Ravaglia’s right leg as he bore down on goal.
After surviving those scares, Bologna threatened to take full advantage of an incisive counter-attack spearheaded by Jonathan Rowe. The attacker carried the ball a long way before he released it to Thijs Dallinga, whose shot was half-stopped by Arijanet Muric and then cleared off the line by a combination of Jay Idzes and Fali Cande.
Unfortunately for Idzes, he failed in his attempt to prevent Giovanni Fabbian from firing home from Nadir Zortea’s cut-back inside the opening two minutes of the second period, ending the midfielder’s wait for his first Serie A goal since March.
After working hard to break the deadlock, Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano would have been disappointed to see a goalkeeping error allow Sassuolo back onto level terms. Ravaglia vacated his goal to punch clear from a corner, only to be beaten to the ball by Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic, who headed in his second goal in four matches.
Buoyed by their equaliser, Fabio Grosso’s charges created the best chance to win the game when Alieu Fadera blazed over with only the goalkeeper to beat. Still, the visitors would have been content with a point that moved them into the top half of the table, while the seventh-placed hosts end the day six points adrift of the top four.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo)