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| Duvan Zapata opened scoring in the 8th minute |
Coach Gigi De Canio’s debut saw Udinese pick up a precious point away to Sassuolo.
The Friulani fired Stefano Colantuono after last week’s home defeat to Roma and De Canio immediately changed system, adopting a 3-4-1-2. The hosts missed Simone Missiroli, Paolo Cannavaro and Karim Laribi, while Domenico Berardi was only fit for the bench.
It was the best possible start for debutant De Canio, as Udinese caught Sassuolo out on the counter with Duvan Zapata meeting Cyril Thereau’s cross from the right, Luca Antei mistiming his sliding intervention.
Nicola Sansone and Gregoire Defrel combined for a shot charged down, but Andrea Consigli’s wonderful one-handed save prevented Dias Felipe’s header from a corner doubling Udinese’s lead.
Bruno Fernandes sparked a dangerous counter on the stroke of half-time, but Consigli parried Silvan Widmer’s finish.
Sassuolo stepped up the tempo after the break and found their equaliser and Federico Peluso whipped in a cross from the left for Matteo Politano’s precise header, taking advantage of some shaky defending.
Thereau and Politano fired off target, while Sassuolo had penalty appeals for a supposed Pablo Armero handling offence.
Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Antei (Terranova 35), Acerbi, Peluso; Pellegrini (Falcinelli 60), Magnanelli, Duncan; Politano (Berardi 83), Defrel, Sansone
Udinese: Karnezis; Heurtaux (Piris 80), Danilo, Felipe; Widmer, Hallfredsson (Lodi 87), Kuzmanovic, Armero; Bruno Fernandes; Thereau, Duvan Zapata (Di Natale 74)
Ref: Di Bello
