Today’s match sees us travel to the Mapei Stadium to take on Sassuolo. The Neroverdi have been poor so far this season so we hope to take all three points as we continue our push for Champions League football.

The Opposition

Sassuolo are currently sitting in 16th place in the Serie A, picking up just 23 points from 25 games. They are two points clear of 17th placed Crotone and six points ahead of the relegation zone and SPAL, who sit in 18th. Fans of the Green and Blacks will be very disappointed after finishing 12th last season and achieving Europa League football, for the first ever time, the season before that. Despite finishing 2017 strongly, with notable wins over Inter Milan and Sampdoria, 2018 has been a disaster for Sassuolo. They have failed to win this year, picking up just 2 points from their last six games. To make matters worse, they were humbled by Juventus in a 7-0 trip to Turin whilst they also struggled at home to Atalanta, when they were defeated 3-0.

The loan signing of Fiorentina forward Khouma Babacar was hoped to make a difference, yet the Senegalese striker has scored just once in the three matches since he signed. Sassuolo’s other primary threat is in the shape of Domenico Berardi, the 23-year old Italian forward who has been linked with a move to a bigger club for the past few years. Berardi’s excellent dribbling skills, decent finishing and quality passing should be our main worry today but with just 3 goals and 2 assists in 22 games this season, he has not made the impact that he may have liked to.

Last Time Out

Our midweek game was an impressive 5-1 victory over FCSB. which overturned a first-leg defeat that saw us on the verge of Europa League elimination. Ciro Immobile opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a wonderful control and finish. The first half was then marred by the injury of Martin Caceres, before goals from his replacement Bastos and a second for Immobile put us 3-0 up at half-time. Felipe Anderson scored in the 51st minute to make it four before King Ciro wrapped up his hat-trick in the 71st. Steaua managed to pull back a consolation goal in the 82nd minute, when Gnohere chipped Strakosha, but it was too little too late for the Romanians who were sent home eliminated.

Team News and Predicted Lineup

We are set to be without both Felipe Anderson, who is suffering from a muscle injury, and Martin Caceres, who picked up a knee injury against FCSB. Jordan Lukaku remains doubtful.

With these injuries in mind, we could see a very similar lineup to the team that beat Bucharest on Thursday. A 3-at-the-back formation with Bastos, De Vrij and Patric sitting in front of Strakosha seems most likely. Lucas Leiva and Parolo then controlling the midfield, with Parolo making box-to-box runs and Leiva sitting in a more holding position. Senad Lulic should start on the left, providing good supply for the two forwards whilst Dusan Basta on the right offers us both attacking and defensive capabilities. Luis Alberto should fit into the CF/CAM role where he was started so often this season and I am expecting Inzaghi to lineup with a front two of Immobile and Luis Nani.

Prediction

Sassuolo 1-3 Lazio

I believe that we have more than enough quality to see off the threat of Sassuolo today. The home side are in a terrible run of form and I believe that the win against FCSB will give the boys the morale boost they need to take the three points. This is a vital game and one which we must win to keep up our pursuit of a top-4 finish, and therefore to attain Champions League football next season.