Sassuolo return to the Mapei Stadium in the first game of round 36 in Serie A when in-form Monza visit Emilia-Romagna on Friday.
Alessio Dionisi’s team were beaten 4-2 by Inter Milan last weekend, while the Biancorossi got the better of freshly-crowned champions, Napoli, at the U-Power Stadium.
Sassuolo’s loss at San Siro in round 35 was unsurprising; because of the Nerazzurri’s ongoing run of wins domestically and in Europe.
The Neroverdi travelled to face Simone Inzaghi’s men having been beaten in three away games in succession, and it inevitably became four against the Champions League finalists.
Dionisi’s men return to the Mapei on Friday, where they have accrued 14 points from the last 18 in Serie A since a 2-0 defeat against Napoli in mid-February.
Juventus have been the high-profile scalp in that time, although there was a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Empoli in late April that saw two Domenico Berardi goals in the game’s final 10 minutes wipe out Nicolo Cambiaghi’s first-half strike.
Sassuolo’s absence of clean sheets in their unbeaten sequence — two shut-outs in six matches — suggests a soft underbelly, thus giving Monza much-needed confidence heading into Friday.
Raffaele Palladino’s men enjoyed another commendable result in their debut campaign in Serie A, getting the better of Luciano Spalletti’s troops in Lombardy.
That triumph was their 13th of the season, and a closer look shows the White and Reds have not lost in the league since early April — a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Lazio.
Only one loss since the start of March is admirable, and their next victory could take them above eighth-placed Fiorentina, who have lost momentum in recent weeks.
Monza have lost one game on their travels in 2023 — a 3-0 reverse at the hands of Salernitana at the end of February — suggesting that Palladino’s troops have nothing to fear this weekend.
Gianluca Caprari netted a 60-minute equaliser when both sides faced off in the reverse fixture, and the home side’s attacker could add to his five league goals on Friday.
Davide Frattesi was a doubt for Sassuolo’s visit to Inter, but the midfielder featuring at San Siro means he should be available this weekend.
Dionisi could name an unchanged side on Friday as the Neroverdi seek a return to winning ways.
Andrea Colpani has missed Monza’s games with Torino and Napoli, and the midfielder is unlikely to play this weekend.
Having scored against his old club in round 35, Andrea Petagna seeks to find the back of the net in consecutive matches this season — the striker has registered a goal contribution in back-to-back games against Torino (assist) and Napoli (goal).
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli: Toljan, Erlic, Ruan, Rogerio; Fratessi, Lopez, Henrique; Berardi, Defrel, Lauriente
Monza possible starting lineup:
Di Grigorio; Izzo, Mari, Caldirola; Brindelli, Rovela, Pessina, Augusto; Ciurria, Mota; Petagna
We say: Sassuolo 2-2 Monza
Sassuolo are securing promising results at the Mapei, and Monza have thrived in recent away games, making this one tricky to call.
The game should be high-scoring, with both teams pulling out all the stops on Friday night.
