SASSUOLO

League position: 3rd
Form: D W D W L
Serie A top-scorer: Francesco Caputo (5)
Last time out in Serie A: Sassuolo 0-3 Inter Milan

Their season so far: Roberto De Zerbi’s side have been the biggest surprise package of the season so far and, at least until the 3-0 defeat by Inter Milan last weekend, were recently one of just three unbeaten sides remaining in Serie A.

That loss was fairly chastening but the Neroverdi are still third, level on points with Inter despite the Nerazzurri moving above them and into second based on that better head-to-head record.

And Roma will be wary of their visitors, with Sassuolo winning all four of their away games in the league in 2020-21.

It’s a fairly remarkable turnaround from their start to the 2019-20 campaign, when Sassuolo lost each of their first three games on their travels and is testament to the exceptional work De Zerbi is doing in Emilia-Romagna.

The 41-year-old former Napoli midfielder earned the club their second-highest Serie A finish in their history last year - his first season at the Sassuolo helm - and in the early throws of this term they look like genuine contenders for the European places.

Key to their current form has been a razor-sharp cutting edge in front of goal, with only the top-two Milan clubs scoring more times (20) so far.

Caputo’s five goals from their first five games heavily aided that goalscoring return but has missed three of the last four through injury.

He is back in training, though, and Sassuolo will be eager to field their 33-year-old talisman, while Vlad Chiriches and former Roma man Gregoire Defrel are also facing a race against time to get fit in time for the trip to the capital.

What they've said: “We lost our first match after nine games. However, we should not lose enthusiasm. Defeats can happen. We need to understand what did wrong and start again. We’ve raised the bar.

“If we want to finish among the top seven we know we have to be perfect and others must make mistakes. Highs and lows can happen.” - Roberto De Zerbi