Sassuolo will be out to continue their impressive form when they travel to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris to take on a struggling Genoa on Sunday afternoon.
Currently sitting in 5th position, Sassuolo continue to perform well beyond expectations while the Rossoblu have failed to produce the results that saw them earn a top six position in last season’s Serie A.
Coach Eusebio Di Francesco and his squad went into the international break having earned a result in 10 of their opening 12 fixtures to sit on a total of 22 points.
Undefeated in their last three fixtures, including a match week 10 win over Juventus, the Neroverdi will be eager to take advantage of a Genoese side which has struggled to find form over the first 12 rounds.
Winless in their last three starts, Gian Piero Gasperini will be looking for inspiration to kickstart the Grifone’s season.
Gasperini may well draw on some positives from their last outing where his side were able to withstand a substantial amount of pressure to earn a 0-0 draw with the in-form Napoli, featuring a stand-out performance from Mattia Perrin in goal.
Genoa may also draw confidence from their record at the Stadia Luigi Ferraris this season, having recorded all three of their wins in Genoa and losing just one match at home to Juventus (0-2).
Despite finishing six positions below Gasperini’s men, it was Di Francesco who got the better of their Ligurian competitors last season.
Sassuolo took the three points in a 3-1 win at the Mapei Stadium after playing out a 3-3 draw in the corresponding match in Genoa.
The Neroverdi will be near full strength for the weekend, the only exception being Emanuele Terranova who continues to be monitored.
Meanwhile the Rossoblu will be lifted by the return of Goran Pandev, Darko Lazovic and Nicolas Burdisso to training having shrugged off their respective injury concerns. The Macedonian forward is expected to start Sunday’s match from the bench, while Ezequiel Munoz remains unavailable.
Form Guide: Genoa (D-D-D-L-W) Sassuolo (W-D-W-L-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Genoa: Perin; Izzo, Burdisso, Ansaldi; Figueras, Rincon, Tino Costa, Laxalt; Perotti, Pavoletti, Lazovic
Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Peluso; Missiroli, Magnanelli, Duncan; Berardi, Defrel, Sansone
infographic from sporticos.com
