The Neroverdi are in great shape as they can spend the Christmas break dreaming of qualifying for Europe for the first time.
After beating Napoli in their opening fixture, President Giorgio Squinzi proclaimed Sassuolo could “Win the Scudetto,” he might have gone a bit too far, but the Neroverdi under Eusebio Di Francesco are confirming all the good things shown in past seasons. A group of mostly young and Italian players who have some lovely personalities and play great football.
Domenico Berardi is still the most interesting player now Simone Zaza has gone, and Nicola Sansone has developed into a hugely consistent player. Sergio Floccari is still able to score goals regularly, Francesco Acerbi guarantees solidity at the back and Sime Vrsjalko has been one of the best right-backs in Serie A.
Di Francesco’s men beat Napoli and Juventus at home, two highlights of the wonderfully consistent first months of this season. Avoiding relegation won’t be an issue, and with a bit of luck the Neroverdi could play European football next season.
Best Player
If Berardi could add good behaviour to his footballing quality, he would definitely be the Neroverdi’s best player. But having collected just 10 appearances, two goals and two assists, as well as a long lasting ban, Sassuolo’s best player so far has to be Nicola Sansone.
Three goals in 14 games for the 24-year-old, and two of them decisive in the highest moments of Sassuolo’s first portion of this season. His tap-in defeated Napoli in the first game, and his beautiful free kick beat Gianluigi Buffon and Juventus two months later.
He has found great consistency, resulting in a high work rate for the team added to the quality and pace. If he is able to start scoring more, then Sassuolo could have one of the best wingers in the league.
Highlight so far
A wonder free kick by Sansone and the champions of Italy were blasted away. It might not have been the best Juventus of the season, but Sassuolo really dominated against a much better team on paper, really showing the heights the quality of Eusebio Di Francesco’s football can reach, considering the Neroverdi had also beaten Napoli in the opening game of the season. A well-deserved victory, well beyond the final 1-0 score.
Biggest disappointment
In between two great results – the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina and the 1-3 away win against Sampdoria – the Neroverdi had to cope with the elimination from the Coppa Italia. A very big disappointment despite the player rotation, as Sassuolo fell 1-0 at home and against Serie B’s Cagliari.
Moreover, the Coppa Italia could have been a good way to attempt winning some silverware and use it as a fast channel into European football, but Di Francesco’s men simply did not have the right mindset to go through.
Transfer hit
Considering Sassuolo only acquired four players in the summer, it is difficult to talk about a transfer hit, as most of the team is the same as last season. Considering the cost, €1.25 million, and the age – 19 – Lorenzo Pellegrini is probably the hit of the summer window.
Bought from Roma, Pellegrini only started playing regularly in the latter half of this first portion of the season, putting together three appearances and scoring one goal, against Sampdoria.
Transfer flop
He did put together seven games, scoring two goals, more than any other new player, but Gregoire Defrel cost €7m, and much more was expected from him. The ex-Cesena striker scored nine goals last season and impressed several clubs who wanted to buy him.
Sassuolo were the quickest, but he still hasn’t been able to show what he was meant to. Now that the excuses are over with the first months in the new club gone, Defrel could become a great January addition to carry Sassuolo to the next step.
What next?
An easy game at the Mapei Stadium against Frosinone and then two challenges: away to leaders Inter at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza and away at the Stadio San Paolo against Napoli.
If Sassuolo can grasp even just five points from these three games, the maturity will be complete and could look at confirming the current seventh place and hunt a spot in the top six that would guarantee a Europa League spot.
If Berardi gets his head right and avoids needless suspension, the team can grow with him and really be a problem for any opponent. With a top six finish President Squinzi could then look seriously at investing in the summer to get closer to winning the Scudetto next season.
