Italian League Results: Sassuolo Falls at Monza's Home Stadium, Jay Idzes' Replacement Received a 5.5 Rating

Sassuolo failed to carry over their positive momentum following their dramatic victory against Juventus. Without Indonesia national team defender Jay Idzes, the Neroverdi were forced to concede defeat to newly promoted side Monza with a final score of 1-2 in the 5th matchweek of the 2026-2027 Italian Serie A, held at Brianteo Stadium in Monza.

Idzes was not named in the match squad after suffering a thigh injury. Sassuolo's first-choice defender is expected to require approximately one month of recovery time.

Idzes' absence also represents a major blow for the Indonesia national team. The Garuda captain has been officially ruled out of John Herdman's squad for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, which will run from 24 September to 5 October.

In Sassuolo's defensive line, Idzes' position was filled by Duje Caleta-Car. The Croatian defender lined up alongside Fedde Leysen, however his performance received poor ratings from Italian football media.

Tuttomercatoweb awarded Caleta-Car a 5.5 rating. According to the outlet's assessment, while Duje Caleta-Car did not commit any major errors, he struggled to track the movement of Gustavo Varela, who operated as Monza's primary attacking outlet.

"He did not make any major mistakes, but he had significant difficulty keeping up with Varela, who was active across the entire attacking line throughout the match," read Tuttomercatoweb's review of Duje Caleta-Car's performance against Monza.

Canale Sassuolo also handed the defender a 5.5 rating. The outlet specifically highlighted the opening period of the second half, when Caleta-Car and the entire Sassuolo backline struggled to cope with Monza's pressing.

"Following a poor showing against Juventus, he once again looked out of his depth against Monza. The home side created two early chances right after the restart that left him looking disoriented, just like the rest of the team," stated Canale Sassuolo's match analysis.

Sassuolo had entered this fixture riding high on confidence, having beaten Juventus 3-2 the previous matchweek. However, the clash at Monza's home ground played out very differently, with the away side unable to find the sharpness required to control proceedings.

Monza registered the first threat of the match, with Eddy Kouadio's header safely gathered by Arijanet Muric.

Sassuolo responded through Domenico Berardi. The Italian forward's strike could not beat Noel Tornqvist, with the Monza goalkeeper later pulling off another save to deny Darryl Bakola's effort.

Monza finally broke the deadlock in the 51st minute. Gustavo Varela put the home side ahead with a powerful header from Samuele Birindelli's cross.

Varela doubled Monza's advantage in the 63rd minute, converting from the penalty spot with an effort that Muric was unable to keep out.

Sassuolo refused to give up. Vasillije Adzic pulled one back for the visitors in the 88th minute, reviving hopes of claiming at least one point from the fixture.

A chance to equalise arrived in stoppage time, but Kieran Bowie's header struck the left post of Monza's goal. When the final whistle blew, the score remained 2-1 to secure the home side's victory.

This result lifts Monza to 14th position in the temporary league standings, with 4 points collected from 5 matches played.

Sassuolo meanwhile remain sat in 9th place, holding 7 points after their opening 5 fixtures.

The Neroverdi sit 3 points adrift of the top four positions, and will need to find consistency quickly after failing to build on their famous win over Juventus on Monza's home turf.