After opening the Serie A season with a defeat, both Sassuolo and visitors Lecce will look for their first points of the campaign when they meet on Saturday evening with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
Sassuolo were never likely to get off to a winning start in the Serie A season on Monday night, as they hosted Juventus in their first home fixture of the new campaign.
The Neroverdi lost by three goals to nil, with star signing Angel Di Maria scoring and assisting on his debut for the Bianconeri. Though this scoreline was harsh on Sassuolo, they failed to find the net, losing Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham United in the summer.
His fellow Italy international Giacomo Raspadori consigned to the bench until halftime due to speculation surrounding a potential move to Napoli.
It was a nightmare start for Lecce, who were beaten 3-1 by Juventus at the Stadio Via del Mare. After a frustrating first half from both sides, Assan Ceesay gave Roma hope when he scored just after the break, but Denzel Dumfries’ stoppage-time winner lifted Inter to victory.
Lecce have now lost 17 consecutive Serie A matches without a single win and sit second-bottom of the league table ahead of Sunday’s trip to Genoa.
Sassuolo vs Lecce Head to Head
Both sides have three games against each other with hosts taking one win while visitors still winless. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Juventus 3-0 Sassuolo
- Modena 3-2 Sassuolo
- Sassuolo 4-1 Vis Pesaro
- Reims 2-2 Sassuolo
Away
- Lecce 1-2 Inter
- Lecce 2-3 Cittadella
- Parma 1-0 Lecce
- Virtus Francavilla 0-1 Lecce
Sassuolo Team News
Alessio Dionisi will still be without Ivorian winger Hamed Traore, who is out with a foot injury. Midfield mainstay Maxime Lopez returns from suspension and should start. Long-serving captain Domenico Berardi, who ended speculation about his future by signing a fresh five-year deal this week, remains at the club.
Lecce Team News
Lecce has a fully fit squad for the trip to Emilia-Romagna. However, head coach Marco Baroni has concerns about the fitness of defensive pair Kastriot Dermaku and Mert Cetin – the latter limped off after only 21 minutes against Inter last week.
Prediction and Odds
Sassuolo will likely score more than once against Lecce on Saturday as the visitors have yet to keep a clean sheet.
- Sassuolo Win
- Goals Under 3.5
- Both Teams to Score
