SASSUOLO v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

In the final stages of the season, Sassuolo and AC Milan cross paths with opposite moods and objectives. The Neroverdi are in desperate need of points, with the shadow of Serie B looming large over the Emilian club, while the Rossoneri aim to tighten their grip on second place, buoyed by a fantastic run of form. In this light, for the home team, the task of snatching points on Sunday at the Mapei Stadium against Pioli's men becomes even more challenging. Sassuolo has only won once in the last twelve Serie A matches (3 draws, 8 losses), and an average of 2.2 goals conceded per game during this stretch.

At home, the Neroverdi have suffered two defeats in their last four outings (1 win, 1 draw), although they do remain unbeaten at the Mapei under Ballardini. So far this season only Salernitana (8), Udinese (12) and Empoli (13) have earned fewer points at home compared to Sassuolo (16 in 15 matches). However, one statistic brings some hope for the Neroverdi. They have won two out of three games played against teams starting the day in the top two positions in the league.

SASSUOLO STARTS STRONG AND PLAYS DIRECT
If we analyse the "courage" with which Sassuolo has approached its games in Serie A since the days of Dionisi, we are almost surprised by its current position in the league table. The Neroverdi are amongst the top teams in the league due to certain principles of play, which certainly shed a positive light on Sassuolo, at least in terms of intentions. The team currently led by Ballardini has recorded 26 counterattacks in this season's campaign, second only to Inter (31). Moreover, Sassuolo has managed to create 23 goalscoring opportunities from counterattacks, a statistic that places them just behind Inter, who sit just one step ahead with 24. A key player is  Armand Laurienté, who, with eight counterattacks (alongside today's opponent Rafael Leão) is only surpassed by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (nine) in this ranking.

Another key element on which Sassuolo's game is based is directness. This is evidenced by a considerable number of direct attacks: 59, second only to AC Milan (68) and Inter (62). However, if the Neroverdi find themselves in the lower ranks of the league table, it is partly due to not finishing these counterattacks. The Emilian club has also faced challenges in maintaining leads during matches, perhaps the main drawback of this season: with a staggering 26 points lost from winning positions, Sassuolo is indeed the undisputed leader in this special negative ranking.

NOSTALGIA FOR BERARDI, NEROVERDI CLING TO PINAMONTI AND LAURIENTÉ
In a match like this one, the absence of Domenico Berardi will be even more keenly felt. As is well known, Berardi has a special connection with the Rossoneri, having scored 11 goals and provided seven assists against AC Milan in Serie A. The only player to have performed better against a single team in the competition is Paulo Dybala against Udinese (11 goals and eight assists). The absence of the Neroverdi winger weights heavily, as with Berardi on the field, Sassuolo has averaged 1.1 points, with a win percentage of 29%. Without him, however, the Neroverdi have only averaged 0.4 points, with a success rate of 7%.

The responsibility of trying to lift the Neroverdi out of the relegation zone will largely rest on the shoulders of Andrea Pinamonti. With nine goals and one assist so far, he has reached 10 key contributions for the second time in a single Serie A season, the first since 2021/22 with Empoli (13 goals and two assists). Furthermore, Pinamonti (14) is just two goals away from entering Sassuolo's top-10 all-time Serie A goalscorers list (with Gianluca Scamacca and Hamed Traoré tied at 16) and three away from the eighth position (Nicola Sansone with 17). It will also be up to Armand Laurienté to provide the service for Pinamonti to score. The French winger has scored against AC Milan in the league, converting a penalty kick on 29 January 2023. He now has the chance to score in two consecutive Serie A matches for the first time since March 2023, following his goal against Salernitana. 

The AC Milan WhatsApp channel is now available: follow us!