The hosts started brightly with early chances falling to both Lameck Banda and Gabriel Strefezza, while Assan Ceesay could count himself unlucky not to earn a penalty after Ruan clearly tugged his shirt inside the box.
Sassuolo grew into the contest, and Marco Baroni would have been alarmed at how easily his side’s defence was carved open to forge a chance for Nedim Bajrami, whose angled close-range strike was saved by Andrea Consigli.
Sassuolo quickly resumed their high-pressure approach, as Rogerio teed up Domenico Berardi, but he sliced his shot horribly, before Ruan headed wide from Bajrami’s cross in two huge let-offs for the hosts.
With only one shot on target between both sides, it was a first half which sorely lacked that clinical edge in the final third.
Leece came out with renewed impetus after the break, as Valentin Gendrey’s long throw-in caused panic in the box, and Rémi Oudin blazed his speculative long-range effort wide.
That counted for little though, when the visitors drew first blood thanks to Kristian Thorstvedt just seconds after he entered the fray. The Norwegian’s header at the near post from Berardi’s corner took a nick off Morten Hjulmand and beat Wladimiro Falcone.
On the balance of play, it was a well-deserved lead for the Neroverdi to further dampen an already subdued atmosphere inside the Stadio Via del mare.
The Giallorossi did not look like levelling the scores until Strefezza inexplicably fired wide from point-blank range, on a night when the hosts failed to register a single shot on target.
Deservedly beaten, Baroni’s men are still waiting to keep a Serie A clean sheet at home after 12 attempts, as their three-match unbeaten run came to a drab end.
As for Sassuolo, this result eases any lingering relegation fears they may have had before kick-off, and propels Alessio Dionisi’s side 10 points clear of the bottom three.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
