Three Reasons Why Sassuolo’s Hot Start Can Continue

In a season unlike any other, Roberto De Zerbi’s Sassuolo has taken Serie A by storm, throwing their name into the title race. The Neroverdi are unbeaten after eight games, recording five wins, and currently sit just two points back of Milan in first place. While cinderella stories in Serie A are few and far between, excluding Atalanta, there is reason to believe Sassuolo’s recent success is sustainable.

De Zerbi’s men have put in place a clear system over the years and have continuously gotten better. As an intriguing matchup with Inter awaits them in matchday nine, here are three reasons why Sassuolo’s hot start might just continue.

1) Boga-Caputo-Berardi is all the firepower they need. 

Few frontlines in Italy have as good an understanding as Sassuolo’s devastating trio. Whether it’s intricate movements, inch-perfect passes or the ability to beat their men one-on-one, Sassuolo’s attack has fired them to new heights this season. In fact, no side has scored more than the Neroverdi this season, with Sassuolo scoring 20 goals in their first eight games. Francesco Caputo has picked up exactly from where he left off last season, registering five goals and two assists in just six starts.

Club captain and all-time goalscorer – Domenico Berardi – has established himself as an elite creative threat in the final third, kicking off the season in fine form. Beyond his productive start, the winger was most recently called up to the national team and played an integral role in Gli Azzurri punching their ticket into the UEFA Nations League final four. Berardi found the back of the net in consecutive games, staking a claim for a starting position.

If Sassuolo’s dynamic attack keeps producing, nothing is stopping them from pulling an Atalanta and breaking into Italy’s top four.

2) Manuel Locatelli. 

The former Milan man has kicked into another gear this season and has undisputedly taken the next step in his career, establishing himself as one of Italy’s premier midfielders. Locatelli has since attracted interest from across Italy, with Juventus emerging as the favorites for his signature. Much like Berardi, Locatelli used the latest slate of international fixtures to make a name for himself and emerge as a crucial piece to Mancini’s setup.

Locatelli plays an extremely important role in De Zerbi’s setup and is largely tasked with dictating the proceedings in the middle of the park. The 22-year-old feeds Sassuolo’s dynamic attack and relays possession diligently, offering some much-needed balance in the midfield. Sassuolo may just possess the most in-form midfielder in Italy at the moment in Locatelli. Provided his recent ascent continues, the Neroverdi can keep dreaming.

3) Sassuolo’s underrated squad players. 

Locatelli, Boga, Caputo, and Berardi may steal all the spotlight, but that shouldn’t take away from Sassuolo’s underrated squad players. Filip Djuricic plays an important role as the side’s number ten, linking the midfield to attack, while Vlad Chiriches and Gian Marco Ferrari offer stability from the back.

In many ways, Sassuolo’s strength lies in their ‘next man up’ mentality and self-belief. When the side was missing Berardi and Caputo against Napoli, they did not panic. De Zerbi altered his setup to a back three and put faith in his squad players. Sassuolo did not disappoint, emerging 2-0 winners. Summer arrival Maxime Lopez opened his account on the season and is yet another budding young talent to watch out for.

As the season wears on, these squad players will have to demonstrate they can contribute when called upon, as they have done in the early goings of the season. If they can continue delivering, there is no reason why Sassuolo can’t aim for top four – at the very least.

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Three Takeaways From Italy’s UEFA Nations League Games

Italy punched its ticket to the final four of the UEFA Nations League this past weekend, with crucial wins over Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The final round is set to be played in October 2022. Roberto Mancini has not shied away from calling up a plethora of budding talents, naming a 41-man squad for the latest slate of games.

Gli Azzurri are currently riding a 22-game unbeaten run and have since emerged as legitimate contenders for the UEFA Nations League. Here are three takeaways from Italy’s latest training camp:

1) Domenico Berardi and Lorenzo Insigne emerge as first-choice contenders. 

Mancini has called up a number of wingers in recent training camps, indicating the starting roles are up for the taking. Vincenzo Grifo, Federico Chiesa, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Federico Bernardeschi among others have all staked their claim for a more prominent role, but if Italy’s latest games were anything to go by, none of them will likely start come Euro 2020.

Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Berardi have demonstrated they are ready to lead Gli Azzurri’s frontline, combining to devastating effect in the final third. The Sassuolo man has made the most of his opportunity, scoring goals in consecutive games this international break. Berardi has emerged as one of Italy’s elite creators with Sassuolo and should be handed a more significant role.

Insigne, on the other hand, has kicked into another gear this season, taking his game to another level. The diminutive playmaker was arguably Italy’s man-of-the-match in both of his nation’s games this past break, assisting Berardi’s goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina with an inch-perfect pass. In many ways, the left-wing position is Insigne’s to lose going into the Euro.

In any case, there are a number of players ready to step up in their absences, as Mancini has regularly demonstrated with his callups. As of right now, there is no reason why the Insigne-Berardi tandem should not start.

2) Locatelli sets himself apart from his midfield counterparts. 

The Sassuolo midfielder’s recent ascent to stardom has been nothing short of meteoric, with Locatelli emerging as one of Italy’s midfield maestros. As it is the case up front, Italy has no shortage of midfield options and could turn to a wide array of options in the middle of the park. Jorginho seems to be a mainstay under Mancini and has impressed when called upon, while it is hard to argue against Nicolo Barella.

The Inter man has been in sensational form under Antonio Conte and has proven he is more than ready for regular minutes with the national team setup. This leaves the third and final midfield position up for grabs. Naturally, it is Marco Verratti’s to lose, but the Paris Saint-Germain man has regularly failed to translate his domestic dominance in an Azzurri shirt.

Manuel Locatelli dominated the proceedings in Italy’s games, indicating he may just be the missing link in the midfield. The Neroverdi midfielder offers the side some much-needed balance, both in and out of possession. While Verratti may be seen as the favourite to start going into Euro 2020, Locatelli can easily overtake him with more consistency.

3) There are still more questions than answers at #9. 

Andrea Belotti spearheaded Italy’s attack in both of Italy’s games in Ciro Immobile’s absence, and frankly, did not disappoint. The Torino man led the line with great aplomb, netting an important goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Despite impressing in both games, Belotti has his limitations and is yet to take the leap alongside Europe’s elite hitmen.

If Italy is to have a shot at major trophies, Mancini will need to assess his striking options and determine his preferred number nine. Immobile and Moise Kean are in the running, while Francesco Caputo has an outside shot. It may just come down to who’s in form going into the tournament.

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Serie A Injury and Suspensions Report – Round Seven

Atalanta: Hans Hateboer and Cristian Romero played against Liverpool but they are still hampered by thigh problems. Robin Gosens (calf) and Marten De Roon (thigh) are trying fast recoveries but they have slim chances to be available. Cristiano Piccini (thigh) and Mattia Caldara (knee) are out.

Benevento: Gianluca Caprari was handed a two-game ban following last week’s red card. Federico Barba is back, Iago Falque is notAlessandro Tuia will miss a month with a cheekbone fracture. Continue reading

Serie A Fantasy Preview – Round Six – Top Matches

INTER-PARMA

Inter: Romelu Lukaku suffered a thigh injury that will cost him at least one game and the Nerazzurri will have to make up for the loss of their target man, something that rarely happened last year. Alexis Sanchez is dealing with a small problem as well, therefore Lautaro Martinez, who has slowed down after opening the campaign with three straight goals, will have to shoulder the attack, then they will hope Andrea Pinamonti can be decent right away. They also briefly used Ivan Perisic as second-striker in the last game. Stefano Sensi is back on the shelf with his customary muscular problems: Christian Eriksen had some flashes last week, but so far him and Marcelo Brozovic have produced nothing too exciting. Their best midfielder has been Nicolò Barella (two assists), while Arturo Vidal has mostly taken care of the dirty work. At some point Radja Nainggolan will get in on the action, but it has not happened yet. Fortunately, Achraf Hakimi (one goal, two assists) was a false positive and he will resume plowing the flank from the start here, while Ashley Young has shaken off the virus and will challenge Ivan Perisic, who has been solid (two assists) but has not really taken off. Their back-line has improved with Alessandro Bastoni back in the fold.

Recommended picks: Martinez, Perisic, Hakimi.  Continue reading

Serie A Fantasy Preview – Round Five – Other Games

SASSUOLO-TORINO

Sassuolo: the Neroverdi were tested by Bologna, but they reacted vigorously and nabbed another win thanks to goal by their usual difference-makers, Francesco Caputo (fourth in the season), Domenico Berardi (third) and Filip Djuricic. The Serbian attacker started off slowly but found the target in the last two outings. Gregoire Defrel and Lukas Haraslin have hampered by injuries, while Jeremie Boga and Nicolas Schiappacasse had to deal with COVID, so the final spot in their front-line is up for grabs. Hamed Traore has first dibs if the absentees do not return, but Maxime Lopez could be an option as well. At some point they will have to start using Boga, but he missed a lot of practice time because of the virus. Mert Muldur and Georgios Kyriakopoulos have yet to turn it on this season, while Manuel Locatelli and Mehdi Bourabia have both hit the net once despite their role. Continue reading

Serie A Fantasy Preview – Round Four – Other Games

BOLOGNA-SASSUOLO

Bologna: the Felsinei have been unconvicing in their two road games, against Benevento and Milan, while they hanged four goals on Parma on their lone home one. They had their chances against the Sanniti but could not knock one through. They lost Andreas Skov Olsen for significant time during the break and so Riccardo Orsolini will recapture the starting job, but he will have to watch out for Emmanuel Vignato if he does not wake up. Musa Barrow has taken a bunch of shots but has yet to score, the leading man in that regard has been Roberto Soriano and also Rodrigo Palacio has notched one. The absences of Gary Medel and Andrea Poli will force them to field either Mattias Svanberg or Nicolas Dominguez, who carry more value because they participate more in the final third. Sassuolo tend to leave some room to counter and they have a pair of speedsters. Continue reading

Serie A Fantasy Recap – Round Three

Results: COVID-19 took away two fixtures in this round, including the much anticipated Juventus-Napoli. In the other crunch game, Lazio weathered the early storm produced by Inter and came away with a quality. Atalanta keep rolling and bagged five goals against Cagliari, while Milan throttled Spezia in the second half and the they are the only two perfect teams in the season. Right behind them in the standings there is Sassuolo, which rag-dolled Crotone. Roma snatched their first W of the season over the point-less Udinese, same feat for Sampdoria, which upset Fiorentina on the road. Benevento is now up to six points after squeaking by Bologna.

Continue reading

Sassuolo demonstrating European credentials early on

Since Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment, Sassuolo has played a scintillating brand of football, predicated on heavy possession and the intricate movement of their front three. The veteran tactician has successfully imparted his footballing philosophy on the Neroverdi in recent years and have since emerged as legitimate contenders for Europa League football. Sassuolo has already picked up seven out of a possible nine points to start the season, recording consecutive 4-1 wins in league play, indicating their European credentials.

While Jeremie Boga has missed his side’s first three games through injury, Sassuolo have not missed a beat. Last season’s standouts – Domenico Berardi and Francesco Caputo – have picked up from where they left off, scoring goals in their last two games. The latter most recently recorded a brace against Crotone, fresh off receiving yet another Azzurri callup.

Caputo joined Sassuolo last season from a relegated Empoli side for a mere 7.5 million euros and is proving to be the bargain of the summer. The veteran hitman notched a record 21 goals last season, trailing only Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ciro Immobile. Caputo has carved out an important role for himself in De Zerbi’s system, regularly interchanging with Sassuolo’s wingers both in and out of possession.

Caputo has demonstrated his keen eye for goal and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Most recently, Caputo’s deadly finishing was on display after being played through on goal against Crotone. The 33-year-old made no mistake, lobbing the keeper with great aplomb and bringing his tally to three on the season already.

Berardi, on the other hand, opened the scoring against the newly-promoted outfit on Saturday and was dominant throughout. The Sassuolo winger has emerged as one of the league’s most consistent creators from out wide and is coming off a career year, in which he scored 14 goals and registered 10 assists. Berardi is on pace for a similar season already and will surely begin attracting interest from Italy’s top sides.

The 26-year-old has been courted by Italy’s traditional giants in the past but has regularly rejected them in favor of staying with Sassuolo. As De Zerbi’s men look to return to Europe, Berardi may just remain for the long run and establish himself as a club legend.

Beyond Sassuolo’s dynamic frontline, Manuel Locatelli has stood out in the early goings of the season. The former Milan midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Juventus earlier in the summer but has since decided to remain with Sassuolo. Locatelli’s passing range was on display once again against Crotone, delivering an inch-perfect switch of play on the Neroverdi’s first goal. Locatelli was later rewarded for his dominant performance, notching Sassuolo’s fourth and final goal.

De Zerbi relies on Locatelli to dictate the tempo in the middle of the park and supply his front three regularly. The Italian international has demonstrated he’s more than ready to take the next step in his career and dominate the proceedings in the middle of the park, week in, week out. As the season wears on, expect Locatelli’s name to emerge atop many sides’s mercato wishlists.

While Sassuolo’s start is encouraging, it’s important to exhibit caution. After all, they’ve beaten the two newly promoted sides and played out to a draw against Cagliari. Regardless, there is no reason why De Zerbi’s men shouldn’t be aiming for Europa League football at the very minimum and have a talented foundation in place for years to come. It may be early days, but Sassuolo are establishing themselves as the Serie A’s latest darlings and have shown no signs of slowing down.

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Serie A Fantasy Recap – Round Two

Results: Roma and Juventus shared the spoils in an entertaining fixture to cap off the Sunday slateNapoli demolished Genoa, Milan easily got past Crotone, while Verona nipped Udinese to stay perfect in the season. Inter furiously rallied back late against Fiorentina, while Lazio breezed past Cagliari and Atalanta toyed with Torino, so the three ‘top four’ teams that had their opener delayed were all successful. Among the newly promoted teams, Benevento got off to a brilliant start as they mounted a glorious comeback against Sampdoria, tough sledding instead for Spezia, which run into an in-form Sassuolo. Bologna trounced Parma on Monday night.  Continue reading

Fantasy Serie A Gameweek Two Picks

Serie A returned in style last weekend and promises yet another matchday of exciting action, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s high-flying Atalanta make their highly anticipated debut on Saturday against Torino. Inter will host Fiorentina in Saturday’s final game as Antonio Conte’s men look to pick up where they left off last season and emerge as title contenders.

Elsewhere, Roma takes on Juventus on Sunday and will be hoping to get their season back on track after their surprising forfeit to Hellas Verona.

Without further ado, here are your fantasy Serie A picks ahead of gameweek two:

Gianluigi Donnarumma: The Milan shot-stopper may have conceded twice against Bodo-Glimt, but he should be a safe pick ahead of the Rossoneri’s clash against the newly-promoted Crotone. Donnarumma kicked off the season in fine form against Bologna and will be looking to continue his good start against Crotone.

Achraf Hakimi: The former Borussia Dortmund man is available for a mere 4.5 million and should hit the ground running in Inter’s season opener. Hakimi is a match made in heaven for Conte’s 3-5-2 and will be looking to replicate last season’s impressive exploits in Italy. With Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez combining dangerously, expect the Moroccan international to fit right in at Inter.

Omar Colley: Sampdoria lost their season opener in convincing fashion against Juventus, but Colley was a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing performance. The Blucerchiati will be welcoming Benevento to the Luigi Ferraris and should be good value for a clean sheet.

Kalidou Koulibaly: The Senegalese international ultimately remained at Napoli amidst heavy Premier League interest and should be a crucial piece to Gennaro Gattuso’s setup moving forward. Koulibaly will be eager to thwart Genoa’s momentum after I Grifoni emerged 4-1 winners over Crotone in their season opener.

Theo Hernandez: The former Real Madrid man was in sensational form against Bologna, registering his first assist of the season. Hernandez has established himself as one of Milan’s biggest offensive threats, getting forward at will down the left-hand side. Crotone has just conceded four against Genoa and shouldn’t find it easier against the Rossoneri.

Luis Alberto: The Spanish international is coming off his best season yet in a Lazio shirt and is great value for money at 4.5 million. Luis Alberto emerged as one of the league’s elite creators last season, forming a deadly partnership with Ciro Immobile. Simone Inzaghi’s men will be eager to hit the ground running against Cagliari and expect Luis Alberto to be at the heart of it.

Aaron Ramsey: Ramsey struggled last season in Maurizio Sarri’s rigid 4-3-3, but looked reborn in Andrea Pirlo’s fluid system. The Welshman only registered one assist against Sampdoria, but had it not been for his teammates’ profligacy in front of goal, it could have been two or three. Expect Ramsey to continue his fine form against Roma.

Hakan Calhanoglu: The Turkish international has been at the heart of Milan’s resurgence under Stefano Pioli, carving out an important role for himself as the Rossoneri’s trequartista. Calhanoglu has combined his incredible vision with a keen eye for goal and has since become Milan’s difference-maker in the final third. The 26-year-old is coming off yet another influential performance and should continue his impressive run against Crotone.

Domenico Berardi: The Sassuolo winger got off to a disappointing start to the season against Cagliari, but should put his goalscoring woes behind him against Spezia. The Neroverdi’s dynamic front three has proven too much to handle for most of Italy’s backlines in the past and should have what it takes to claim an important three points against the newly-promoted outfit.

Ciro Immobile: Last season’s capocannoniere will be eager to repeat the feat once more, starting with Lazio’s opener against Cagliari. Immobile has proven to be a consistent goalscorer in league play in recent years and is always good value to find the back of the net. Alessio Cragno is one of Serie A’s best shot-stoppers, but Immobile and co. possess enough firepower to get the job done.

Victor Osimhen: The Nigerian international changed the complexion of his game shortly after his introduction and should feature from the start against Genoa. Osimhen will be raring to go after an impressive debut and should open his account for the season against I Grifoni.

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