Overview
Competing fiercely with Juventus and Roma for a spot in the European arena, Como suddenly stalled when they only won one point after 2 matches since the international break.
After a goalless draw against Udinese - the result ending a 5-game winning streak in Serie A - Lariani continues to face the leading team Inter Milan, interspersed between the two legs of the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Under the guidance of Cesc Fabregas, Como remained loyal to their proactive play and once led Inter by 2 goals right before halftime. However, the away team woke up in the second half and came back to win, causing Como to suffer a dramatic 3-4 defeat right at the Sinigaglia stadium.
This defeat continued to prolong Fabregas' disappointing series of confrontations against Inter - the team that once wanted to recruit him - with four consecutive defeats, total score 3-12.
However, except for the rematch against Inter at San Siro in the cup arena, Biancoblu's remaining schedule is considered quite easy. In the immediate future, Como aims to regain fourth place from Juventus - a team they are 2 points behind, and winning at Mapei is a mandatory task.
In the opposite direction, Sassuolo's season journey also has many highlights, notably the 3-0 victory over Como in September, along with winning all 3 points in their first encounter in Serie A this season.
The two teams will reunite in Reggio Emilia - where Fabio Grosso's team has won 7 victories since releasing to the highest league in Italy.
After winning the Serie B championship last season, Sassuolo quickly proved that they are a difficult opponent at home. With 23 points after 16 matches, they have defeated strong opponents such as Lazio and Atalanta.
That impressive form helps the blue and black team almost certainly stay in the league and is aiming for the top 10. However, they just encountered an obstacle when losing 1-2 to Genoa last weekend, in the context of AC Milan unexpectedly losing to Udinese.
Personnel situation
Como's force is showing positive signs, helping Fabregas have more options when entering the weekend match.
Currently, Jayden Addai is the only name that is definitely absent due to injury. Meanwhile, the Spanish duo Jacobo Ramon and Jesus Rodriguez returned to the bench in the previous round and are expected to be in the best physical condition for the upcoming match.
In attack, Tasos Douvikas is likely to continue to be trusted to start after surpassing Alvaro Morata in the position race. Notably, the Greek striker has scored in both encounters with Sassuolo this season.
On the opposite side, Sassuolo suffered a big loss when they lacked their main attacking star Domenico Berardi due to suspension after a brawl in the tunnel in the defeat to Genoa.
Not only that, Josh Doig was also suspended, while the defense continued to be damaged with injuries to Filippo Romagna, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Fali Cande.
Ulisses Garcia's case further complicates the personnel problem. This defender - the direct replacement for Doig - is also currently having muscle problems, forcing Fabio Grosso to rotate or use unexpected options on the left flank.
Expected lineup:
Muric, Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Coulibaly, Kone, Matic, Thorstvedt, Volpato, Pinamonti, Lauriente.
Butez, Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle, Perrone, Da Cunha, Diao, Paz, Baturina, Douvikas.
The match between Sassuolo and Como takes place at 11:00 PM on April 17 (Vietnam time).
