Sassuolo take on the visitors Spezia in the 1/16-finals of Coppa Italia. The match will be played on Thursday, November 2nd at Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore (Reggio Emilia).
Sassuolo have been playing at a decent level not too long ago. It took until 2008 for them to make their Serie B debut, and after five attempts, they reached the top division of the country. In 2016, they managed to secure a 6th place finish there and even played in the group stage of the Europa League. That was the peak that even Roberto De Zerbi couldn't replicate. Under the current manager, Dionisi, they've been unable to prevent slipping further down. They finished 11th in 2022 and dropped to 13th this spring. Currently, while maintaining possession of Berardi, the Neroverdi alternate between unfavorable stretches and decent ones. After losing twice at the start, they secured three wins in four matches, including victories against Juventus and Inter. In October, they only had a draw with Lecce, but suffered dry losses at home against Monza and Lazio. In this context, a 1-1 draw with Bologna appears to be a sign of progress.
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Spezia had a weak start even in the lower division. The Eagles managed to become champions even during wartime, but that title was not officially recognized. They made their full Serie A debut only in 2020. Italiano also kept the newcomer in Serie A, but then he moved to Fiorentina. His replacement, Thiago Motta, also did reasonably well, but last summer, they decided to shuffle the deck once more. This time, the unsuccessful bet on Gotti didn't pay off, and subsequent attempts to change something only led to a dramatic relegation. The club collected the same 31 points as Verona, but lost the additional match for the 17th place. It was clear that after finding themselves in Serie B, the team intended to return immediately. However, they began with a 3-3 draw against Sudtirol and then lost four games in a row. Only at the end of September did they start consistently earning points, mainly through draws, with a victory over Feralpisalo. They also had a goalless draw with Cosenza in the last round.
Spezia only won against Sassuolo once, back in 2021. After that, victories by the Neroverdi and draws strictly alternated. A representative of a higher division playing at home is naturally considered the favorite. However, one should not expect a landslide victory. On the contrary, considering the form of the opponents, under 3.0 total goals seems appropriate.
Prediction for the match: Under 3.0 scored goals.
