Sassuolo vs Torino prediction: Who will pick up their first points of the season?
The second round of Serie A brings us an intriguing clash at the MAPEI Stadium, where Sassuolo will host Torino. Both teams began the campaign with defeats, so the motivation is perfectly clear: neither side wants to lose again. The match will take place on Saturday, 29 August, kicking off at 18:30 local time.
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Sassuolo travelled to Bergamo to face Atalanta in the opening round and suffered a 2-1 defeat. However, Alberto Aquilani's side left a fairly positive impression. The Neroverdi did not sit back and attacked actively, ranking among the best teams of the opening round in terms of shots. Defender Cas Odenthal's goal early in the second half brought the visitors back into the game, but Nikola Krstovic soon scored the winner for the Bergamo side.
Now comes the most interesting factor — Sassuolo's home advantage. Last season, they looked fairly confident on their own ground and won nine home league matches. However, the statistics specifically against Torino are far less encouraging: Sassuolo have managed just one win in their last 11 Serie A home meetings with the Granata. Moreover, Torino have not lost to this opponent since September 2022 and beat them twice last season.
But the current Sassuolo are a team with a new manager and a somewhat changed squad. Aquilani is only beginning to build his own version of the Neroverdi, so the start of the campaign will undoubtedly involve searching for the best possible combinations. The attack looks like a particularly noticeable problem: last season's top scorer Andrea Pinamonti has already left the club and joined Lazio. In addition, as of 27 August, Ismael Kone, Fali Kande, Edoardo Pieragnolo and captain Domenico Berardi remain unavailable.
Torino also started the season with a defeat, losing 2-1 at home to AC Milan. Ignazio Abate's side defended well for a long period and kept the score at 0-0 until the 60th minute. Milan then scored twice in quick succession, before Che Adams pulled one back with a fine strike in stoppage time. The comeback never materialised, but the Bulls showed plenty of character.
This is Abate's first season in charge of Torino, so the team are also going through a rebuilding process. The main question is whether they have enough attacking firepower. Giovanni Simeone, Duvan Zapata, Sandro Kulenovic and Che Adams are available up front, while Nikola Vlasic and Cesare Casadei could play important roles in midfield. Adams is particularly interesting: after scoring against Milan, he will be aiming to find the net in a third consecutive league match, taking into account the end of last season.
Overall, we are looking at a match between two teams for whom it is still too early to draw any serious conclusions about the season. Sassuolo will surely try to take the initiative at home and make the most of the support from the stands. Torino, meanwhile, judging by their opening match against Milan, are more than capable of relying on a compact setup and quick attacks.
On paper, this looks like a very evenly balanced game. The hosts will have the advantage of playing at home and a desire to bounce back after their defeat in Bergamo, while the visitors have an excellent record in recent head-to-head meetings. So it certainly should not be a dull encounter.
If Sassuolo can take their chances, Aquilani's side are more than capable of finally ending their disappointing run against Torino. However, the Granata have repeatedly shown that they know how to play against this particular opponent. Therefore, I would expect a cautious start, a battle in midfield and a decisive twist closer to the final stages.
Both teams lost in the opening round — now it is time to find out who will be the first to put points on the board this season.
My prediction: Both Teams to Score — Yes.
