Sassuolo vs AC Milan

Serie A pacesetters AC Milan head to the Mapei Stadium – Citta del Tricolore to meet mid-table Sassuolo in a season-defining league fixture.

Sassuolo’s thumping 3-1 victory away at Bologna last time out has helped them end a run of four Serie A matches without winning (D1, L3) and keep their hopes of a third successive top-half finish alive. In order to achieve that feat, ‘I Neroverdi’ need a point against Milan, whom they dismantled 3-1 in the reverse fixture at San Siro. In fact, Sassuolo have defeated Milan in both previous Serie A H2Hs and could beat them three times in a row in the competition for the first time. But after winning three consecutive home league matches, Alessio Dionisi’s men have gone winless in the last two on the trot (D1, L1) despite taking the lead in each. Indeed, Sassuolo’s defensive frailties have seen them concede at least once in 16 of their 18 home league outings this term.

On the other hand, Milan are a single point away from claiming their first Scudetto since 2010/11. Due to a superior H2H record, ‘I Rossoneri’ only have to stay unbeaten at Mapei to confirm domestic supremacy regardless of Inter Milan’s result against Sampdoria. That could be a straightforward task, as Stefano Pioli’s men have won their last five Serie A visits to Sassuolo, including a 2-1 triumph in this exact fixture in 2020/21. Back to the present time, the runaway Serie A leaders have won five successive league games by an aggregate score of 10-2. Defensively robust, Milan have kept a whopping 17 clean sheets during this Serie A season, their best such tally since registering 18 in 2011/12.