Sassuolo vs AS Roma prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-12-02 17:00.
Sassuolo were involved in last weekend’s most dramatic Serie A (SA) match as they came from a goal down at Empoli to eventually snatch a 4-3 victory in the 92nd minute. That result means that the Neroverdi have won more points from losing positions in Italy’s top flight this season than any other team prior to the round (eight – W2, D2), scoring four in an away league encounter for the first time since winning 4-3 against Roma in March.
However, Alessio Dionisi’s men finished the round still only five points clear of the bottom three and will return to Mapei Stadium looking to earn their first home league victory since 23 September. Given that win though, Sassuolo are bound to be feeling optimistic ahead of the visit of the Giallorossi, who they haven’t lost to in their last five H2Hs on their own patch (W1, D4), with those three most recent draws secured after going 1-0 down.
Roma arrive in Emilia-Romagna following a frustrating 1-1 draw at Servette which left them second in their UEFA Europa League group with one game to go, but they did at least secure qualification for the knockout rounds of the competition. Their results immediately after playing on Thursday night have been mixed this term (W1, D2, L1), so there’s little to indicate one way or the other what Sunday’s outcome is likely to be.
That said, three of the capital club’s four SA defeats this season have been on the road, and with Atalanta, Bologna and Fiorentina all snapping at their heels, Roma will be desperate for a victory here to keep them in the European places for now, with important fixtures against those latter two sides ahead in rounds 15 and 16. One glance at the recent H2H history shows that winning here certainly won’t be easy for the Giallorossi, but if they are to come away with the points, don’t be surprised if it’s a late winner. Each of their last three league wins came courtesy of goals beyond the 80th minute, as did their last win against Sassuolo back in September 2021.
Players to watch: When talisman Domenico Berardi has netted in 2023/24, Sassuolo haven’t lost (W4, D1), although his four yellow cards leave him a booking away from a one-game ban. Romelu Lukaku hasn’t tasted defeat in his nine Roma scoring appearances since joining in the summer (W7, D2), and has scored six times in five meetings with Sassuolo (W4, D1) – his joint-highest scoring tally against an Italian outfit.
Hot stat: Sassuolo’s last four SA matches have seen the opener netted inside five minutes.