The Serie A round 26 match between Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona will take place on 20 February at 22:45 at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio nell'Emilia. Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Sassuolo
After Fabio Grosso's side secured a 2:1 away win over Udinese in last round’s match, Sassuolo moved up to 10th place in the Italian top-flight standings. Prior to beating Udinese, the home team had been struggling at times, mixing strong performances with poor ones and failing to establish themselves in mid-table. In their last four defeats under Fabio Grosso, they left the pitch without scoring. Their lack of creativity in attack is also reflected by their expected goals (xG) numbers, which on average did not even reach 0.5 per match.
In their last five league matches at home, the club have failed to score more than one goal.
On home soil, Sassuolo have conceded in nine of their last 10 Serie A matches.
At home, the club have not won four of their last five matches in this competition (one draw, three defeats).
Potential Sassuolo Lineup (4-3-3)*
Ariannet Muric – Josh Doig, Tarik Muharemovic, Jay Idzes, Sebastian Walukiewicz – Ismael Kone, Kristian Thorstvedt, Luca Lipani – Armand Lauriente, Andrea Pinamonti, Domenico Berardi
Defenders Fali Kande and Edoardo Pietrangeli, along with midfielder Daniel Boloca, will miss the game through injury. Defender Tarik Muharemovic and midfielder Nemanja Matic are suspended.
Hellas Verona
In the previous round, the team lost 2:1 to Parma. After 25 matches, Hellas Verona sit bottom of the Italian championship with just 15 points. Their performances speak volumes about the club’s problems: in 25 games, the visitors have conceded 43 goals, the second-worst record in the league. Things are no better in attack, with only 19 goals scored over the same period, which is the second-lowest tally. Since beating Fiorentina in round 15, the team from Verona have failed to take a positive result in any of their subsequent matches (three draws, seven defeats).
Hellas Verona have conceded at least one goal in six of their last seven away Serie A matches.
In six of the club’s last seven away league games, at least three goals were scored.
Across the last 10 rounds, the Verona side have not received more than two yellow cards.
Potential Hellas Verona Lineup (3-5-2)*
Lorenzo Montipo – Tobias Slotsager, Victor Nelsson, Andrias Edmundsson – Cheikh Niassse, Antoine Bernede, Moatasem Al-Musrati, Sandi Lovric, Martin Frese – Kieron Bowie, Gift Orban
Defenders Nicolas Valentini and Rafik Belghali, as well as midfielders Pol Lirola, Roberto Gagliardini, Tomas Suslov, Sandi Lovric and Antoine Bernede, will miss the match through injury. Forward Gift Orban and midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro are suspended.
Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona: Match Prediction
In the upcoming match, Sassuolo look like the favourites. Unlike their opponent, the team have shown an ability to pick up points against clubs in the middle and lower reaches of the standings. Of course, Sassuolo have, as expected, lost to the leading sides – Inter, Milan, Roma and Napoli – without managing to score against them. However, against less highly rated opponents, the team have produced perfectly respectable results. For example, in last round’s away game Sassuolo beat Udinese 2:1. In addition, the team recorded wins over Pisa and Cremonese. These results highlight the club’s ability to set up tactically in a smart way against opponents of a similar level.
Looking at Hellas Verona’s upcoming schedule and the number of matches left until the end of the season, one conclusion follows: they need to battle for points in every fixture, and a trip to Sassuolo is one of those matches. While the attacking play of Paolo Sammarco’s side leaves plenty to be desired, the defence of the upcoming opponent cannot boast reliability. The hosts regularly allow dangerous moments at their own goal, often due to a lack of coordination in defence, conceding 1.42 goals per match on average. With each game, Hellas Verona move closer to relegation, and in the current situation Paolo Sammarco needs to do something to save the team from the drop, and without points – and therefore goals – that will be difficult.
Prediction: Both teams to score - Yes
* For each team, the starting lineup from their last match in this competition is listed.
