The Serie A round 26 match between Sassuolo and Verona will take place on 20 February at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio nell'Emilia. Sassuolo vs Verona: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Sassuolo
After Fabio Grosso's side claimed a 2:1 away win over Udinese in last round, it moved up to 10th place in the Italian top-flight standings. Prior to beating Udinese, Sassuolo had endured a difficult spell, alternating strong performances with poor ones, which prevented the club from establishing itself in mid-table. In the last four defeats suffered by Fabio Grosso's men, they left the pitch without scoring. The expected goals (xG) figure also underlines the lack of creativity in attack, averaging under 0.5 per game.
Across the last five league matches at home, the club have not managed to score more than once.
On their own ground, Sassuolo have conceded in nine of their last 10 Serie A matches.
At home, the club have failed to win four of their last five matches in this competition (one draw, three defeats).
Potential Sassuolo Lineup (4-3-3)*
Arijanet Muric – Josh Doig, Tarik Muharemovic, Jay Idzes, Sebastian Walukiewicz – Ismael Kone, Kristian Thorstvedt, Luca Lipani – Armand Lauriente, Andrea Pinamonti, Domenico Berardi.
Defenders Fali Kande and Edoardo Pieragnolo, along with midfielder Daniel Boloca, will miss the match through injury. Defender Tarik Muharemovic and midfielder Nemanja Matic are suspended.
Verona
In the previous round, the team lost 1:2 to Parma. After 25 matches, Verona sit bottom of the Italian top flight with just 15 points. The numbers clearly point to the club's problems: in 25 games, the side have conceded 43 goals, the second-worst record in the league. Things are no better in attack – only 19 goals scored over the same period, the second-lowest total. After the win over Fiorentina in round 15, the team from Verona have failed to record a positive result in any of the matches that followed (three draws, seven defeats).
Verona have conceded at least once in six of their last seven away Serie A matches.
At least three goals have been scored in six of the club's previous seven away league matches.
Across the last 10 rounds, the Verona side have not received more than two yellow cards.
Potential Verona Lineup (3-5-2)*
Lorenzo Montipo – Tobias Slotsager, Victor Nelsson, Andrias Edmundsson – Cheikh Niasse, Antoine Bernede, Moatasem Al-Musrati, Sandi Lovric, Martin Frese – Kyron Bowie, Gift Orban.
Defenders Nicolas Valentini and Rafik Belghali, as well as midfielders Pol Lirolo, Roberto Gagliardini, Tomas Suslov, Sandi Lovric and Antoine Bernede, will miss the match through injury. Forward Gift Orban and midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro are suspended.
Referee
Livio Marinelli (Italy)
Matches – 5 (Serie A, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 20%.
Sassuolo vs Verona: Match Prediction
Sassuolo look like favourites for the upcoming game. Unlike their opponents, the home team have shown an ability to pick up points against clubs occupying the middle and lower positions in the table. Of course, Sassuolo have predictably lost to the leading teams – Inter, Milan, Roma and Napoli – while failing to find the net in those matches. However, against less high-profile opposition, the team have produced respectable results. For instance, in last round's away fixture, Sassuolo beat Udinese 2:1. In addition, the club have recorded wins over Pisa and Cremonese. Those outcomes highlight the club's ability to set up tactically in the right way against opponents of a similar level.
Looking at Verona's upcoming schedule and the number of matches left before the end of the season, one conclusion follows: the visitors must fight for points in every fixture, and the trip to Sassuolo is one of them. Even though Paolo Sammarco's men have left plenty to be desired going forward, the home side's defence cannot boast reliability. The hosts regularly allow dangerous moments at the back, often due to a lack of coordination among defenders, conceding an average of 1.42 goals per match. With every game, Verona move closer to relegation, and in the current situation Paolo Sammarco needs to do something to keep the team up, but without points – and therefore without goals – that will be difficult.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes
* For each team, the starting line-up from its previous match in this competition is listed.
