Roma Dominate Sassuolo as Table Gap Frames Olimpico Clash

Roma dominated possession and chances against Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico, but the supplied reports do not give the final score.

The match figures show a pronounced imbalance. Roma had 65% possession and attempted 28 shots, compared with Sassuolo’s 35% and 6 shots, while Roma put 9 efforts on target and Sassuolo managed one.

Sassuolo goalkeeper Muric made 5 saves, while Roma’s Vasquez made 1. Roma won 12 corners to Sassuolo’s 1, though Sassuolo cleared 3 efforts off the line and Roma cleared none.

Before the match, Roma were second with 27 points from 11 games, while Sassuolo sat 17th with 8 points from the same number of matches. The contrast began in the table.

Roma had won 8, drawn 3 and lost none, scoring 31 goals and conceding 10. Sassuolo had 2 wins, 2 draws and 7 defeats, with 16 goals scored and 29 conceded.

Lazio topped the table on 28 points from 10 games, one point ahead of Roma. The league table’s last update was at 22:38.

Roma arrived after a 3-2 Champions League defeat at Manchester United, where they’d again let a two-goal lead slip. Sassuolo’s recent league run was poor: they’d collected one point across their previous six rounds and conceded 10 goals in defeats to Lazio and Fiorentina alone. Earlier, Sassuolo had beaten Juventus 3-2.

Roma’s passing figures added to the picture of control. They completed 714 passes at 90.3% accuracy, compared with Sassuolo’s 387 at 83.2%, and completed 212 passes in the final third to Sassuolo’s 36.

Behind Balerdi, N'Dicka and Hermoso, Roma began with Vasquez in goal, while Molina, Cristante, Kone and Wesley lined up across midfield. Soule and Mora supported Malen up front. Gian Piero Gasperini managed Roma.

Sassuolo’s starting side was Muric; Walukiewicz, Idzes and Caleta Car; Cinquegrano, Sulemana, Thorstvedt, Matic and Doig; Lauriente and Esposito. Alberto Aquilani managed the visitors.

Roma were without injured Gianluca Mancini and Devyne Rensch, while Pierluigi Gollini hadn’t recovered from a back problem. With Mile Svilar already out for over a month, Vasquez made his second consecutive start. It was Vasquez’s first Serie A start.

Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini were also unavailable. Manu Kone returned to the starting XI for the first time since suffering a thigh strain against Real Madrid on October 14.

Selection notes: Vasquez started for a second game in a row, and Kone returned to Roma’s XI. Sassuolo had five injury absences, while Thorstvedt was available again and the team used a new 3-5-2.

Sassuolo were without five injured players: Fedde Leysen, Ismael Kone, Daniel Boloca, Cristian Volpato and Domenico Berardi. Thorstvedt’s return allowed him to start alongside Nemanja Matic in midfield, with Lauriente and Esposito paired in attack. Muric returned in goal.

Aquilani’s appointment brought him back to the Olimpico as Sassuolo coach. He had played for Roma and began his management career in the club’s youth academy.

Roma made their first changes at 66 minutes, replacing Rodrigo Mora with Pisilli and Kone with de Roon. At 77 minutes, Castro came on for Malen and Koulierakis replaced Hermoso. Ghilardi replaced Balerdi at 85 minutes.

Sassuolo changed two players at half-time, with Bowie replacing Matic and Van der Brempt coming on for Cinquegrano. At 69 minutes, Lipani replaced Thorstvedt and Adzic came on for Esposito. Fali Cande replaced Caleta-Car at 90 minutes.

Late on, Bowie was caught offside before sending a shot high and wide from more than 40 yards on the left after a fast break assisted by Lipani. Following corners, headers from Balerdi and Cristante went wide to the right.

Teams from first to fourth are in UEFA Champions League positions, fifth in the UEFA Europa League place and sixth among UEFA Conference League qualifiers. Clubs from 18th to 20th are in relegation positions.

The supplied reports don’t establish the final score or identify any scorers. The latest table update provided was on the evening.