Two sides with contrasting recent form go head-to-head in Serie A on Saturday evening in Serie A, when Sassuolo welcome Hellas Verona to the Mapei Stadium.
Andrea Mandorlini’s men go into the fixture without a win in six games and will be hoping they can stop the rot and return to their early season form, which saw them pick up eleven points from their opening six games.
Last week’s 2-1 defeat to Fiorentina ended a run of three consecutive draws which had followed a 6-2 beating at the hands of Napoli, and it may be in defence that the problems lie for the Gialloblu as they have only kept three clean sheets so far this season.
While Verona haven’t won in six games, hosts Sassuolo by contrast haven’t lost in six games, a run which stretches back to an impressive 1-1 home draw with reigning Serie A champions Juventus.
The Neroverdi’s season has more or less been a mirror image of their opponents season as their recent good run comes after a dreadful start which included a humiliating 7-0 defeat away to Inter.
With one side on the rise and one falling it comes as no surprise that only one point separates them in the league standings, with Eusebio Di Francesco’s men just ahead on 15 points.
Ten previous meetings between the two teams have produced five victories for Verona, four victories for Sassuolo and one draw. The corresponding fixture last season saw the Gialloblu win 2-1 thanks to a Thomas Manfredini own goal and a late Luca Toni strike.
Manfredini, along with Gianluca Pegolo, is on the the long-term injury list for the home side, and Di Francesco will also be without main striker Simone Zaza who is suspended.
The absence of Italy international Zaza will be a blow to the Neroverdi, however, likely replacement Sergio Floccari has scored as many goals as the 23-year-old this season – two.
The visitors have no suspensions but have a considerable injury list and are likely to be without Bosko Jankovic, Mounir Obbadi, Ivan Martic, Frederik Sorensen and Jacopo Sala.
Expected Starting XIs
Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Peluso; Brighi, Magnanelli, Missroli; Berardi, Floccari, Sansone
Verona: Rafael; Moras, Marquez, Marques, Agostini; Ionita, Tachtsidis, Hallfredsson; Lopez, Toni, Gomez
