Struggling Sassuolo aims to avoid a second defeat to Torino in one Serie A season for the first time in ten years when they host the team from Turin at Mapei Stadium this Saturday.
Sassuolo risks falling into the relegation zone in the 24th game week, after three consecutive losses, while the visiting team looks to continue their four-game unbeaten streak.
Match Preview
The start of 2024 has been tough for Sassuolo, with four losses out of five games pushing them towards the relegation battle.
After a narrow 1-0 victory against Fiorentina early in January, Alessio Dionisi’s squad was hopeful for a turnaround. However, their losing streak has them worried before facing Torino.
Currently 15th, Sassuolo is just a point ahead of the teams directly below them, making this match crucial. They aim to maintain their record of not losing both seasonal games to Torino since 2013-14, despite a 2-1 loss in their last encounter.
This year, Torino has a great chance to win both matches against Sassuolo for the first time in a decade, coming into this game on an eight-point streak from four games. Yet, Torino’s away performance has been weak, with only one win in six tries, though that victory was against Cagliari.
Torino has struggled to score on the road but comes into this match with strong defensive form, having conceded only 19 goals and kept 11 clean sheets in 22 games, their best defensive record at this stage since the 1992-93 season.
The outcome in Emilia-Romagna is uncertain, especially with Torino’s attacking challenges.
Sassuolo Serie A Form: L L W L L L
Sassuolo Form (All Competitions): L L W L L L
Torino Serie A Form: D L W D W D
Team News
Sassuolo will be without Domenico Berardi due to a knee injury until March, and Jeremy Toljan and Pedro Obiang are also expected to miss the game.
Kristian Thorstvedt, with four goals in 19 league appearances, is a key player for Sassuolo, surpassing his last season’s tally.
For Torino, Perr Schuurs is out for the season with an ACL injury, and Alessandro Buongiorno won’t return until March.
Duvan Zapata and Antonio Sanabria, with strong records against Sassuolo, aim to lead Torino’s attack once again.
Possible Starting Lineups
Sassuolo:
Consigli;
Pedersen, Erlic, Ferrari, Doig;
Boloca, Henrique;
Lauriente, Thorstvedt, Volpato;
Pinamonti
Torino:
Milinkovic-Savic;
Tameze, Sazonov, Rodriguez;
Bellanova, Ricci, Linetty, Lazaro;
Vlasic;
Sanabria, Zapata
Prediction: Sassuolo 0-1 Torino
Considering Torino’s better recent form, they might just manage to secure a win and complete a season double over Sassuolo.
