Torino take on the visitors Sassuolo in the round 36 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Friday, May 8th at Stadio Olimpico di Torino (Turin).
Torino changed head coaches two months ago, replacing the more aggressive Marco Baroni with Roberto D'Aversa, who is much better known for a pragmatic style built around organization, compact defending, and reacting to the opponent. In the last round, his Torino saw their four-match unbeaten streak come to an end after a 0-2 defeat away in Udine against Udinese Calcio. They failed to stay compact and reliable defensively, although in the bigger picture this result does not really threaten their position in the standings. Torino have recently become much more cautious tactically, with many of their matches turning into low-tempo and physical battles. At home, the Turin side have also struggled to create many scoring chances over the last few weeks, preferring control over attacking risk. The hosts sit 13th in Serie A and are in no danger of relegation. Their attacking potential is weakened by the fitness problems of experienced forwards Duván Zapata and Che Adams. Both made the squad for the match, but neither is expected to start because they are still recovering from injuries.
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Sassuolo under Fabio Grosso are a more aggressive and open side, although their away form remains inconsistent. Still, in their latest away game, “The Neroverdi” managed to contain ACF Fiorentina in Florence, playing a very cautious match that ended 0-0. At home, meanwhile, Sassuolo have won three league matches in a row, with the third victory coming against AC Milan by a 2-0 scoreline that few expected. Sassuolo have looked far more disciplined defensively in away fixtures recently, clearly trying not to expose themselves too much on the counterattack. Their recent results also show a team capable of adapting its style depending on the opponent rather than always playing openly. An early goal from Domenico Berardi and a red card for Fikayo Tomori in the middle of the first half largely decided that game, while Armand Laurienté finished Milan off with one goal and one assist. Now comes a trip to Turin, where the visitors can theoretically still challenge for a top-eight finish — they currently sit 10th — although it would not bring any additional rewards. Without suspended rotation forward Lamine Fadera, along with injuries to Boloca and potentially starting center-back Idzes, Sassuolo’s squad depth is also somewhat weakened.
In six of the last seven meetings between these sides, the teams have failed to score more than two goals combined. That includes the first-round meeting in Reggio Emilia, where Torino secured a narrow 1-0 victory.
This match feels more about pride and collecting points before the end of the season than anything else. Torino’s weakened attacking options, D’Aversa’s pragmatic approach compared to Baroni’s style, and Sassuolo’s cautious away performances all point toward a low-scoring contest. Torino also have one of the lowest average goal totals in home matches across Serie A this season, so another tight and dry battle looks very possible here.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 scored goals.
