Sassuolo vs Roma

Bottom-half Sassuolo will be looking to post back-to-back Serie A wins for the second time this season when they encounter Roma at the Mapei Stadium.

Sassuolo made their fans’ patience worthwhile as they pulled off a nail-biting 4-3 win at Empoli last weekend to put a six-game winless league run to bed (D3, L3). Despite Domenico Berardi’s stoppage-time heroics at the Castellani, ‘I Neroverdi’ commence this round only five points clear of the relegation zone, with the pressure mounting on head coach Alessio Dionisi. The impending home return may strike fear into his players’ hearts, considering they’ve gone winless in their last four Serie A games at the Mapei Stadium (D2, L2) after racking up two wins in their first three such fixtures (L1). If it’s any consolation, Sassuolo held Roma winless in both last season’s top-flight H2Hs (W1, D1), including an outstanding 4-3 win in the capital in March.

Despite qualifying for the Europa League knockouts with a game to spare, Roma’s performance in a profligate 1-1 draw at Servette in midweek European action flattered to deceive. Winless in three of their last four competitive outings (D2, L1), ‘I Giallorossi’ head into proceedings keen to build on a 3-1 home triumph against Udinese in the previous Serie A round and arrest a dreadful four-game winless run on hostile turf (D2, L2). However, Jose Mourinho’s men have fared terribly on the road this season, with only 29% of their Serie A points coming away from home (6/21). Indeed, they’ve only won once on their six top-flight travels in 2023/24 (D3, L2), netting just over 1.00 goals per game. Their form woes outside the Stadio Olimpico seem destined to end, knowing they’re winless on their last five league visits to Sassuolo (D4, L1).