Soccer Italy Serie A Prediction

Sassuolo vs Fiorentina - Match Preview

⚽ 2 June 2023 - 18:30 GMT +0

Sassuolo's second season under Alessio Dionisi is unlikely to be branded a success, with the Neroverdi already consigned to finishing in the bottom half of the Serie A (SA) table once again. Worryingly, they’re also going to fail to even match last season’s unremarkable 11th-place finish, with a winless run of five SA matches since the beginning of May proving a big reason why.

That streak indicates that Sassuolo has perhaps lost motivation after securing survival, but their recent games have at least been entertaining to watch if nothing else, with each of the last seven producing at least two match goals. It remains to be seen if the hosts can play their part in helping continue that run, given they’ve failed to score more than once in each of their 11 home matches against teams starting this round above them in the table.

Similar to their hosts, Fiorentina will pick up at least six points less than last season, even with a win here. However, Vincenzo Italiano’s men have a bigger focus than their league placing in mind, with their UEFA Europa Conference League final against West Ham United in Prague now just around the corner, a game which could influence team selection here.

Despite that showpiece event lingering on the horizon, Fiorentina’s 2-1 comeback win at Roma in the last round indicates they’re still committed to finishing their domestic season on a high. They scored their winner in the 88th minute in that game, and with the last two H2Hs witnessing a goal in the stoppage time of the second half, there could be another late sting in the tail here.

📋 Players to watch: Sassuolo's top-scorer Domenico Berardi (G11, A7) has contributed to more than a third of his side's 46 SA goals and he has already netted nine times against Fiorentina in his distinguished career. Opponent Luka Jović is finding some good form too, recently scoring in consecutive SA matches for the first time ever.

⚡ Hot stat: Fiorentina are unbeaten in all SA matches this season against teams starting this round 13th or lower (W10, D5).