Roma
SassuoloRoma are carrying the hangover of another European nightmare into this one, and Gian Piero Gasperini will need a response from his side fast. The Giallorossi threw away a two goal lead at Old Trafford in midweek, eventually losing 3-2 to Manchester United in the Champions League, and that is now two damaging results on the continent in quick succession after they also let slip a golden opportunity against Real Madrid a few weeks prior. At home in Serie A though, Roma have been genuinely frightening, and that is the version of this team Gasperini will be desperate to see show up here.
Sassuolo arrive in Rome in a state of some chaos. Alberto Aquilani’s side have lost four league games on the spin, they are shipping goals at an alarming rate, and they sit 17th in the table with the worst defensive record in Serie A. This is a fixture that looks neatly set up for Roma to put a dent in their European frustrations and head into the international break with some momentum restored.
This Serie A fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, one of the great footballing arenas in European football. Roma are on home turf in front of what will likely be a crowd desperate to see a commanding response after the midweek disappointment in Manchester. Sassuolo make the trip down from Emilia as one of the division’s more troubled sides right now, with no away win to their name since February.
Roma have a few injury concerns to navigate, though there is some positive news with both Manu Kone and Paulo Dybala returning to training after their respective absences. Whether Gasperini risks either of them here is the big question. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mile Svilar remain out, and Pier Luigi Gollini is a doubt after missing the Manchester trip with a back problem. Dutch wing back Devyne Rensch has also just been ruled out for the next three weeks.
Sassuolo are also without several key names. Fedde Leysen, Ismael Kone, Daniel Boloca and former Roma winger Cristian Volpato all miss out. Kristian Thorstvedt does return from suspension though, which is at least some good news for Aquilani.
With Svilar still out and Gollini a doubt, Roma look set to field Vasquez in goal. The back line of Mancini, Ndicka and Hermoso picks itself, with Molina operating on the right side and Wesley on the left. Cristante and Pisilli should anchor the midfield, with the creative burden falling on Soule and Mora behind the main striker. Donyell Malen, who leads the scoring charts across Europe’s top five leagues in 2026, is the obvious focal point up front.
Roma: Vasquez; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Molina, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Mora; Malen
Sassuolo will look to Thorstvedt’s return to add some energy to their midfield alongside Matic and Adzic, the club’s top scorer this season. Lauriente starts wide after his brace against Fiorentina, and Berardi and Esposito complete the attacking trio ahead of a back four that has been nothing short of porous all season.
Sassuolo: Turati; Cinquegrano, Cande, Idzes, Obrador; Adzic, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente
Roma’s domestic form has been extraordinary. Twenty eight goals from their opening ten Serie A matches is a new club record, and the last team to score at that rate from the start of a season was Atalanta back in 2019 under, funnily enough, Gasperini himself. A 3-3 draw in the Derby del Sole against Napoli was followed by 4-2 and 5-2 wins over Cagliari and Udinese, leaving them third in the table, four points off shock leaders Lazio. They are also one of only four teams across Europe’s top five leagues still unbeaten, alongside Lazio, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
The concern is at the other end. Roma have conceded ten goals across their last four games in all competitions, and the defensive frailties exposed at Old Trafford were there for everyone to see. Gasperini will need his back four to be considerably tighter here, though Sassuolo are unlikely to offer the kind of threat that United did in the second half.
Sassuolo’s recent run makes grim reading. Four straight league defeats, a 6-2 hammering at the hands of Lazio, four conceded to Frosinone before that, and then a chaotic 4-2 loss to Fiorentina at the weekend. Twenty six goals conceded before we even hit the midpoint of November, which is their worst defensive tally at this stage of any top flight campaign, including the season they were relegated. Their last away win came back in February, and they have taken just one point from seven away matches so far this term.
Across 24 league meetings between these two sides, Sassuolo have won just twice. They have lost all four of the most recent encounters, and their only victory at the Olimpico in recent memory came in March 2023 when they won 4-3, with Armand Lauriente scoring twice and grabbing an assist. That is the kind of anomaly that happens when a leaky defence catches a Roma side slightly off their game, but four straight defeats since then tells you where the balance of power sits.
Lauriente has actually been involved in four league goals against Roma across various meetings, so he is worth watching despite Sassuolo’s poor form. But the broader picture is clear enough. Rome is not a happy hunting ground for the Neroverdi.
This fixture has goal machine written all over it. Roma’s attack is the most potent in Italian football right now, and they are facing a Sassuolo defence that has been an absolute disaster all season. The Giallorossi are also motivated to bounce back after a bruising midweek in Europe, and home form has been nothing short of brilliant. The smart money is on Roma winning comfortably and goals arriving at both ends, because Sassuolo do carry a threat even when they are struggling, as Lauriente’s brace against Fiorentina showed.
Donyell Malen is the standout pick here. He is the most in form striker in European football right now with 22 goals in 2026, he leads Roma’s line, and he is up against a Sassuolo back four that has been handing out goals like free samples. He is the man Roma turn to when they need something, and against this opposition he should get his chance early.
Over 3.5 goals looks like a very solid call in this one. Roma have averaged well over three goals per home game in Serie A this season, and Sassuolo have shipped at least three in four of their last five outings. The ingredients for a high scoring evening in Rome are very much in place.
Yes feels right here. Roma have been leaking goals themselves recently, conceding ten in four games, and even a struggling Sassuolo side has shown they can find the net. Lauriente has scored in back to back games, and Roma’s back line has not exactly been a fortress of late. BTTS at yes is worth including in your plans for this one.
With a motivated Roma side at home against a Sassuolo team that will need to get physical to have any chance, there should be a decent amount of card activity in this game. Sassuolo’s midfield will be under serious pressure and may need to make some robust challenges to slow Roma down. Over 3.5 cards looks a reasonable bet given the pressure the visitors will be under for large periods.
Roma 3-1 Sassuolo feels like a tidy reflection of where both teams are right now. Roma win comfortably, Malen and company do damage, but Lauriente or Esposito gives Sassuolo something to point to. The Giallorossi have the firepower to really pile on, but a goal for the visitors is well within the realms of possibility given the hosts’ recent defensive wobbles.
Roma are aggressive with possession and love to get bodies forward in wide areas, so they will rack up corners against a defensive Sassuolo unit sitting deep. Combined with a Neroverdi side that may try to hit on the break and win set pieces, over 9.5 corners looks well within reach in what should be a one sided territorial affair for large spells.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| First Goalscorer | Donyell Malen |
| Both Teams To Score | Yes |
| Over Goals | Over 3.5 Goals |
Malen is in the form of his life and should find the net early against a defence this generous, while the evidence from both sides’ recent games points strongly to goals at both ends and plenty of them.
Roma needed this fixture to come around quickly after the heartbreak in Manchester, and against one of the most obliging defences in Europe right now, they should get the result their domestic form deserves. Gasperini will have his side fired up, Malen is in irresistible form, and the Olimpico crowd will be right behind them from the first whistle.
Sassuolo will cause moments of concern, because they always seem to contribute to chaos when they play Roma, but four straight defeats and a defensive record that makes the eyes water suggests this will be a comfortable home win. Roma 3-1 Sassuolo, and the Giallorossi head into the international break with three points and a smile back on their faces.
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