Fiorentina vs. Sassuolo to bring Sunday to a close

Fiorentina and Sassuolo will meet at the Franchi with one objective in mind: picking up three points. After their defeat in the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa semi-finals, and ahead of their Conference League semi-final tie against Club Brugge, the Viola want to improve on their league finish last season and achieve direct qualification for the Europa League. Sassuolo, who sit second from bottom, were defeated in their last outing after three consecutive draws. They need three points to make sure their current situation doesn’t get any worse.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sassuolo have conceded in each of their last 22 Serie A away games, the longest current streak in the competition. Their last such clean sheet was in February 2023 against Lecce. Fiorentina are unbeaten in each of their last five league matches against opponents lower in the table at the start of the matchday (W2 D3), after having lost two of their previous three such matches (D1), including the reverse fixture against Sassuolo in January.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Fiorentina have won only two of their last eight Serie A matches against Sassuolo (D2 L4), though these two victories have come in the three most recent matches (but the Neroverdi won the reverse fixture). This will be the sixth time that Fiorentina and Sassuolo face each other in Serie A after 33 matchdays, with the Neroverdi winnign three of the previous five such games (D1 L1). Fiorentina have won only one of their last five home games against Sassuolo in Serie A (D2 L2), after having won three of the first five such encounters (D1 L1).

PLAYERS

leagues (v Genoa and Salernitana); the Fiorentina winger has scored a total of three goals in 23 games played in Serie A this term, just one less than he did last season in the competition (four goals in 33 games). Sassuolo’s Andrea Pinamonti has scored three goals against Fiorentina in Serie A, one of which in his first match against this opponent (on 9 November 2018 with Frosinone) and one in the most recent one (last 6 January with Sassuolo) – however, none of his three goals against Viola in the competition came away. Sassuolo could become the first team against which Andrea Belotti scores double figures of goals in Serie A; the Fiorentina striker scored nine goals against the Neroverdi (level with Sampdoria); overall, only Duván Zapata has scored more goals against Sassuolo than Belotti in the competition (10).

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Laurientè (Sassuolo) Cautioned: Milenkovic, Ranieri (Fiorentina) Pedersen, Ferrari, Ruan Tressoldi (Sassuolo)

REFEREE

Marcenaro (Garzelli-Moro) IV: Prontera, VAR: Serra, AVAR: Pairetto

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A TIM

Hellas Verona-Fiorentina (Sunday 5 May, 15:00 CEST) Sassuolo-Inter (Saturday 4 May, 20:45 CEST) (Photo LaPresse)