Preview: Sassuolo vs Hellas Verona - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams heading in different directions will meet for Serie A's Friday night fixture, as Sassuolo play host to lowly Hellas Verona.

While three wins from four have lifted the Neroverdi into the top half, Hellas have yet to taste success this year and remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Match preview

Bouncing straight back from a 5-0 defeat to league leaders Inter Milan, Sassuolo also recovered from going a goal down inside 10 minutes to beat Udinese last weekend.

Two members of their potent front three were on target in the second half, with strikes from Andrea Pinamonti and Armand Lauriente securing the Emilian club's first top-flight victory in Udine.

Having drawn level on points with their hosts, Fabio Grosso's team now sit 10th in the Serie A standings, even surpassing his own pre-season expectations.

Last term's Serie B champions are comfortably on course for survival, and another win on Friday would take them up to eighth place - for one day, at least.

The Neroverdi now finish their February schedule by trying to do the double over Verona: Pinamonti scored the only goal when they met at Stadio Bentegodi earlier this season.

While Sassuolo are on track for a serene mid-table finish, Verona are in serious trouble, sitting bottom of Serie A with just 15 points from 25 matches.

The recent sacking of Paolo Zanetti and Paolo Sammarco's interim appointment has not had the desired effect, with a goalless draw at home to 19th-placed Pisa being followed by last week's painful loss in Parma.

Top scorer Gift Orban was controversially dismissed for dissent after just 10 minutes, but Hellas had fought hard to reach second-half stoppage time level at 1-1 before their hosts produced a dramatic late winner.

So, the Gialloblu have just one win and eight goals to show from a dozen away fixtures, and they are now winless in 10 games overall.

Nine points from safety, their last victory anywhere came back in December, leaving Sammarco with a tough task to turn things around.

Sassuolo Serie A form:

L L W W L W

Hellas Verona Serie A form:

L D L L D L

Team News

Generally favouring consistent selection, Grosso made just one change last week, when Luca Lipani replaced the suspended Nemanja Matic - it should be a similar story on Friday evening.

As Matic is still unavailable, Lipani could continue to cover, while highly-rated defender Tarik Muharemovic must now serve a ban for accumulated bookings.

Once again, Sassuolo are set to field a familiar attacking trio: Pinamonti and Domenico Berardi are the Neroverdi's joint-top scorers on five Serie A goals, followed by Lauriente with four.

Meanwhile, Verona's seven-goal striker Orban has been handed a two-match ban, so either Amin Sarr or Daniel Mosquera could partner Kieron Bowie up front.

Midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro is also ruled out by suspension, having picked up another yellow card against Parma.

Furthermore, Hellas have a long injury list: Tomas Suslov, Antoine Bernede, Roberto Gagliardini, Sandi Lovric, Pol Lirola and Nicolas Valentini are all sidelined, while wing-back Rafik Belghali is still struggling with an ankle problem.

Sassuolo possible starting lineup:

Muric; Coulibaly, Walukiewicz, Idzes, Doig; Thorstvedt, Lipani, Kone; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Bella-Kotchap, Nelsson, Edmundsson; Bradaric, Harroui, Al-Musrati, Niasse, Frese; Bowie, Sarr