Nigerian forward Rafiu Durosinmi delivered a composed second-half display, but it was not enough to prevent Pisa from slipping to a 3-1 home defeat against Sassuolo, a result that leaves the relegation-threatened side bottom of the Serie A table with just one league win all season.
The hosts started brightly and thought they had taken the lead inside five minutes when Rosen Bozhinov powered the ball into the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Sassuolo gradually settled into the contest and broke the deadlock in the 25th minute through captain Domenico Berardi, who drove forward from the halfway line before unleashing a fierce strike into the roof of the net.
Pisa’s problems worsened in first-half stoppage time when Berardi’s driven cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Antonio Caracciolo, handing the visitors a comfortable advantage heading into the break.
Introduced at halftime, Durosinmi played a role in Pisa’s response by laying the ball into the path of Michel Aebischer in the 52nd minute, with the Swiss midfielder firing a superb effort into the top corner. The Nigerian also registered one shot on target and completed four of his nine passes during his 45-minute outing. Since arriving in the January transfer window, the striker has posted one goal and one assist in three appearances, marking a steady start to life in the Italian top flight.
However, any hope of a comeback was short-lived as Nemanja Matić picked out Ismaël Koné unmarked just before the hour mark, and the midfielder curled a fine finish into the far corner. Fabio Grosso’s men controlled the closing stages with ease as Pisa’s situation grew increasingly bleak.
Meanwhile, Durosinmi’s compatriot, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, recently returned from international duty after helping the Super Eagles secure a bronze medal at the just-concluded AFCON, but remained an unused substitute in the encounter.
For Pisa, the defeat further dents their survival hopes and increases the pressure to find results quickly, while Sassuolo continue to look comfortable in mid-table as they adjust well to life back in the Italian top flight.
