Preview: Sassuolo vs Inter – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

2 weeks ago 13

Saturday’s Serie A action draws to a close at the Mapei Stadium as Sassuolo’s survival hopes hinge on beating new champions Inter. Things are not looking pretty for the only side to have beaten Nerazzurri in the top-flight this season.

Led by former manager Alessio Dionisi, Sassuolo fought back from a halftime deficit to claim a 2-1 win in September. Little did anyone at the Mapei know that their 11-year Serie A tenure would be under such an imminent threat eight months later.

With only four matchdays left, Sassuolo languish five points adrift of safety following a woeful six-game winless league run (D3, L3), bookended by a 5-1 humbling at the hands of Fiorentina last weekend. Time’s ticking for Neroverdi, and there’s not much wriggle room.

Veteran coach Davide Ballardini couldn’t have hoped for a sterner test of character, with newly-crowned champions Inter rolling into town. Simone Inzaghi’s high-flyers refused to rest on their laurels after sealing their 20th Scudetto with a derby win against Milan.

Instead, they eased past 10-man Torino last weekend, courtesy of Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half brace. In addition to taking his seasonal tally to 13 Serie A goals, the Turkey international has kept Inter’s dream of smashing a 100-point barrier alive.

Match Preview

Sassuolo

A lack of defensive resilience has been a glaring issue for Sassuolo this season. If you need to find a culprit for their underwhelming run of one win across their last 15 outings (D4, L10), it’s a porous backline. Only rock-bottom Salernitana (73) lament a worse defensive record than Neroverdi (70).

Ballardini’s men have conceded an average of over two goals per game this Serie A campaign, capitulating at least three times across their last three league matches. Such a scandalous defensive approach significantly derails Sassuolo’s bid to pull off their first top-flight double over Inter since 2017/18.

However, there’s a silver lining. They’ve only lost once in their last four Serie A home fixtures (W1, D2), a run which includes a goal-glutted 3-3 draw against Inter’s fiercest rivals Milan. Worryingly, they followed that result with a thumping 3-0 defeat to Lecce in their most recent home game.

Inter

Since Sassuolo’s shock win at Meazza on Matchday 6, Inter have gone into overdrive, racking up a mind-blowing 28-game unbeaten league streak (W3, D5). Don’t expect Nerazzuri to take their feet off the gas! With four rounds left, Inzaghi’s charges must win all remaining fixtures to hit a 100-point milestone.

Hitting the road will not diminish their chances. Au contraire, Inter have been outstanding away from home this term, clocking up a jaw-dropping 14 wins from 16 Serie A travels (D2). Their free-scoring frontline that has netted more than two goals on average per away league game should have a field day against Sassuolo’s out-of-sorts defense.

Adding to this sentiment, Lautaro Martinez & Co have found the net on either side of halftime in a league-high 18 matches in 2023/24. It’s no less important to note Inter have won their last two Serie A visits to the Mapei via an identical 2-1 scoreline.

Team News

Ruan Tressoldi has accumulated yellow cards and can’t help Sassuolo’s backline fight the division’s most prolific attack. Scoring could be another issue for the hosts as they miss Domenico Berardi, Samu Castillejo, and Gregoire Defrel due to injuries.

Unlike their hosts, Inter will have the entire squad fit and ready for this trip, including Denzel Dumfries, who returns from suspension. Chances are ex-Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi could face his former side from the first minute at the expense of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Sassuolo vs Inter Potential Lineups

Sassuolo (4-2-3-1): Andrea Consigli; Jeremy Toljan, Martin Erlic, Gian Marco Ferrari, Josh Doig; Urosh Racic, Daniel Boloca; Cristian Volpato, Kristian Thorstvedt, Armand Lauriente; Andrea Pinamonti.

Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, Alessnadro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Davide Frattesi, Carlos Augusto; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.

Sassuolo vs Inter Prediction

As none of the ten meetings between Sassuolo and Inter at the Mapei have ended level since the latter’s top-flight promotion a decade ago, it’s only reasonable to expect one of the two sides to take three points. It takes no rocket science to figure out which team that is.

Prediction: Inter Win