Roma – Sassuolo

Sassuolo will put up a fight against a tired Roma

Roma played a difficult match on Tuesday. In the Champions League, the Giallorossi faced Manchester United away from home. The Giallorossi were already two goals ahead by the 17th minute. It seemed that no one could take the victory away from Gasperini's side, but the Red Devils managed to turn the game around. In the second half, the Mancunians scored three times and secured a comeback victory. In the previous league round, the Romans defeated Udinese without any particular difficulty. Sassuolo continue to lose. Alberto Aquilani's side suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, and their fifth in a run of six matches. In the previous round, the Neroverdi faced Fiorentina at Città del Tricolore. The hosts took the lead in the 25th minute, but the Viola equalized toward the end of the first half. It is not entirely clear what happened to Sassuolo after the break, but the team completely collapsed in the second half. The Florentines went ahead almost immediately after the restart. However, the hosts equalized in the 65th minute. The visitors regained the lead in the 79th minute and scored once more just before the final whistle. Roma are scoring more than their statistics suggest they should. The xG metric indicates that the Giallorossi should have scored 3.5 fewer goals. At the same time, according to xGA, Gasperini's side could have conceded another 4.4 goals. Sassuolo, according to the same metric, concede far more than they should. The Neroverdi have conceded six more goals than the statistics suggest they ought to have. The head-to-head history shows that Sassuolo are not the easiest opponent for Roma. Although the Romans have won four of their last five matches, three of those victories came by a one-goal margin. On one occasion, the Neroverdi came out on top. It seems that this match will definitely be decisive for Alberto Aquilani's future. The upcoming international break is an ideal time to change the coach, and Aquilani will have to prove his suitability for the job in a match against a difficult opponent. The Neroverdi can count on Gasperini's players being tired. The match at Old Trafford was difficult not only physically but also psychologically. This game will be the Wolves' ninth in a period of just under 30 days. During this stretch, the Romans have recorded several convincing victories, but only two of them—against Slovan and Udinese—came by more than two goals. The proposed bet could well end in a push, but Sassuolo will have to produce their best football.