Milan: Cesena were relegated after one season in Serie A on Sunday as they squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 home defeat by Sassuolo and rivals Atalanta won 3-2 at Palermo.
Cesena, needing to win and hope that Atalanta dropped at least a point, raced to a 2-0 goal lead through Gregoire Defrel and Franco Brienza.
However, the Sea Horses appeared to lose heart after Atalanta went 2-0 ahead in Sicily and Sassuolo took advantage as Simone Zaza, Saphir Taider and Simone Missiroli hit back in a 21-minute spell after halftime.
Palermo made life easier for Atalanta by resting top scorer Paulo Dybala, who they expect to sell at the end of the season.
Daniele Baselli and an own goal by Sinisa Andelkovic, who headed a corner into the net from six metres, put Atalanta 2-0 ahead in less then 20 minutes.
Franco Vazquez headed Palermo back into the game two minutes before the break only for Alejandro Gomez to blast Marco D'Alessandro's cross into the net after the re-start for Atalanta's third.
Atalanta held on despite a bizarre sending off for goalkeeper Vlada Avramov who tried to dribble past Vazquez in the penalty area, lost the ball and fouled the striker, giving away a penalty in the process.
Andrea Belotti hit the penalty against the crossbar and, although Luca Rigoni pulled one back for Palermo, Atalanta held on.
Atalanta, one place above the drop zone in 17th, have 36 points, eight clear of Cagliari. Cesena have 24 and Parma, already condemned, are on 16.
At the top, fifth-placed Sampdoria boosted their hopes of European football by thumping Udinese 4-1 away.
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