Matchday 3 Serie A TIM 2020-212 - 4 October 2020*

* Genoa vs Torino has been postponed 

02/10/2020 20:45 - ARTEMIO FRANCHI

FIORENTINA SAMPDORIAVsFiorentina won both Serie A TIM matches last season against Sampdoria, after going winlessin their previous seven league games (D5 L2).

In each of the last nine Serie A TIM matches between Fiorentina and Sampdoria, both teamshave found the net (3.6 goals per game on average).

Sampdoria have won only one of their last 14 Serie A TIM away games against Fiorentina (D6L7), a 2-1victory in August 2017, thanks to Caprari and Quagliarella goals.

Fiorentina have won without conceding in each of their last three home league games; thelast time the Viola went on a longer such run in Serie A TIM was in October 2015 (six).

After losing their opening three Serie A TIM games in 2019/20, Sampdoria have lost boththeir opening two games this season: only Atalanta (in 1952/53 and 1953/54) and Pro Patria(1948/49 and 1949/50) have lost their first three matches in consecutive Serie A seasons.

Fiorentina and Sampdoria are two of the three sides (alongside with Torino) to have lost agame after being in a leading situation in Serie A TIM this season.

Excluding the newly-promoted teams, only Milan (22) have conceded fewer goals thanFiorentina (24) in Serie A TIM since Giuseppe Iachini has become the new Viola manager.However, in the last match against Inter, the Tuscan side conceded four goals for the first timesince the game before the arrival of the current coach (1-4 against Roma, under Montella).

Sampdoria have conceded three of their six goals in the first two matchdays this season from acorner situation; however, in 2019/20 in Serie A TIM, the Blucerchiati hadn’t conceded theirthird goal from a corner until MD9.

Since the Serie A TIM restart last June, Giacomo Bonaventura is the Italian player who hasdelivered the most assists (six) in the Italian top-flight; in general, only Gómez, Calhanogluand Sánchez (eight each) have delivered more over this period.

Fabio Quagliarella has scored seven Serie A TIM goals against Fiorentina with Sampdoria,including his only hat-trick with the Liguri in January 2018: against no team he has found thenet more times with Sampdoria in the top-flight (seven also against Cagliari).

03/10/2020 15:00 - MAPEI STADIUM

SASSUOLO CROTONEVsCrotone won their last Serie A TIM meeting with Sassuolo, after being winless in their previousthree (D1, L2).

Among current Serie A TIM sides, Crotone are the only team Sassuolo have a 100% home winrecord in the Italian top-flight (2/2).

Sassuolo have won only one of their last five Serie A TIM home games (D2, L2), a 5-0 winagainst Genoa in July 2020 - they had won four of their previous six (D1, L1).

Crotone have lost 28 of their 39 away games in the Italian top-flight (72%) – among teamswith 20+ away games since their debut Serie A TIM season in 2016/17, this is the worstpercentage in the competition.

Sassuolo have kept a clean sheet only once in their last 15 league games, in a 5-0 winagainst Genoa last July - the Neroverdi have conceded 1.7 goals on average per game overthis period.

Crotone have conceded at least two goals in each of their two league games this term, whilethis run also extends to their last five matches in the competition - they have never previouslyhad a longer such run in the Italian top-flight.

Gian Marco Ferrari has played 110 games between Serie A TIM and B with Crotone (scoringfour goals) - against Spezia last time out, the Sassuolo defender delivered two assists in asingle top-flight game for the first time ever.

The Serie A TIM season in which Luca Marrone managed to play his most games was the2013/14 campaign, while playing for Sassuolo - he is the Crotone player with the mostsuccessful passes in Serie A TIM this term (122).

Simy scored his only previous Serie A TIM brace in April 2018, against Sassuolo – theNeroverdi are the only side against which the Crotone striker has scored more than one goalin the Italian top-flight.

03/10/2020 20:45 - DACIA ARENA - STADIO FRIULI

UDINESE ROMAVsAfter a streak of 10 consecutive defeats, Udinese have won two of their last four Serie A TIMgames against Roma (L2).

In seven of the last eight league games between Udinese and Roma, at least one of the twosides has failed to score – the only exception being their meeting played in September 2017, a3-1 Giallorossi win.

Roma have won six of their last seven away games against Udinese in Serie A TIM (L1),including the most recent one (4-0 in October 2019), despite Federico Fazio being sent offafter 31 minutes for the Giallorossi.

Udinese have lost both of their opening two games in a Serie A TIM season for their first timesince the 2017/18 campaign, under Luigi Delneri - the last time the Friulani lost each of theiropening three matches in a top-flight season was in 2010/11 (although they did recover tofinish 4th).

Considering the 0-3 result awarded against Hellas Verona, Roma interrupted a streak of fourconsecutive away wins in Serie A TIM, in which they scored at least three goals per game. Ineight of the previous nine Serie A TIM seasons, the Giallorossi won at least one of their twoopening league away games (with the exception of 2016/17, D1 L1).

Roma are still winless in Serie A TIM this season, while only eight times in their history havethey failed to win each of their opening three games of a Serie A TIM season, most recently in2011/12 (D2 L1).

Stefano Okaka played his first 34 Serie A TIM games with Roma, between 2005 and 2010.The Udinese striker has faced the Giallorossi in eight league games, without scoring ordelivering an assist in any of them.

Among players who have scored 100% of their penalties taken in the last two Serie A TIMseasons, Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout has attempted the joint-most spot kicks (six, levelwith Romelu Lukaku).

Despite Roma striker Edin Dzeko having been involved in six Serie A TIM goals againstUdinese (four goals, two assists), he has neither scored or assisted in his two most recentleague appearances against the Friulani.

04/10/2020 12:30 - GEWISS STADIUM

ATALANTA CAGLIARIVsAtalanta have lost four of their last six matches against Cagliari in Serie A TIM (W2): theSardinians have defeated the Bergamaschi the most times in the top-flight since 2017/18.

Atalanta kept a clean sheet in their last league game against Cagliari and could collectconsecutive shutouts against the Rossoblù for the first time since the 2008/09 season underLuigi Delneri.

Cagliari have won their last three Serie A TIM away matches against Atalanta: as many as intheir previous 23 (D5 L15). Indeed, the Sardinians have never collected four away wins in arow against a single opponent in the top-flight.

This will be Atalanta's home debut in Serie A TIM 2020/21: the Bergamaschi have lost three oftheir last four home league openers (W1): as many losses as in their previous 22 first homegames of the season (W11, D8).

Eusebio Di Francesco could become the first Cagliari manager to fail to win their first threeleague games with the club since Massimo Rastelli in 2016/17.

Atalanta have scored six of their eight goals in Serie A TIM this season during the first half,more than any other side. They have scored four goals in each of their opening two games ina Serie A TIM season for their first time in their history.

Atalanta striker Alejandro Gómez has scored three in his 15 Serie A TIM goals appearancesagainst Cagliari: only two players have found the net more times in matches betweenAtalanta and Cagliari in the competition than the Argentinian: Luigi Riva (five) and RobertoBoninsegna (four), both with Cagliari.

Luis Muriel has scored nine goals in his 20 Serie A TIM appearances in 2020. Among theplayers with more than three appearances in the period in the top-flight, the Atalanta striker isthe one with the best minutes/goals average (one every 62 minutes).

Giovanni Simeone has scored five goals in his last eight away games in Serie A TIM; however,the Bergamaschi are the team against which he has played the most times in Serie A TIMwithout scoring (eight).

04/10/2020 15:00 - CIRO VIGORITO

BENEVENTO BOLOGNAVsBenevento played their first ever home match in Serie A TIM against Bologna in August 2017,with the match ending in a 1-0 victory for the Rossoblu thanks to a Godfred Donsah goal.

Benevento have lost both of their Serie A TIM games against Bologna (0-1 at home and 3-0away): Bologna are one of the five teams against which Benevento have not scored in theironly previous season in the top flight - alongside Fiorentina, Napoli, Atalanta and Torino.

Benevento have conceded seven goals in their first two league games, while in their first SerieA TIM season they conceded three - they have scored five league goals this season, anachievement they reached after 12 games in the 2017/18 season.

Bologna have lost four consecutive away games in the Italian top-flight and could lose fiveaway games in a row in Serie A TIM for the first time since October 2015.

Bologna have not scored a goal in three consecutive away games in Serie A TIM: the last teamto have a longer such streak in the competition were SPAL in the first six away games in2019/20.

Bologna have conceded in 35 consecutive Serie A TIM games, a negative record in thecompetition - in the history of the top-5 European leagues only four teams have had longersuch runs: Bordeaux in 1960 (42), Gimnàstic de Tarragona in 1950 (41), Racing Santander in1960 (39) and Duisburg in 1975 (38).

In the summer of 2015, Sinisa Mihajlovic replaced Filippo Inzaghi on the Milan bench:Mihajlovic won 50% of matches in all competitions with the Rossoneri (W19 D10 L9), whileInzaghi won 35% of his games with the club (W14 D13 L13).

Benevento forward Gianluca Caprari has scored two goals and delivered an assist in his twofirst league games this season; in his final 12 games with Parma last season he scored twogoals in 12 league games.

Benevento defender Gaetano Letizia, who found the net on his seasonal debut againstSampdoria, scored his first Serie A TIM goal against Bologna in October 2015, with Carpi.

Bologna striker Musa Barrow scored his first Serie A TIM goal against Benevento in April 2018with Atalanta: in 2020, he has scored nine league goals, more than double that of any otherteammate.

04/10/2020 15:00 - OLIMPICO

LAZIO INTERVsLazio have won two of their last three league matches against Inter (L1), after being winless intheir previous five meetings against the Nerazzurri (D1 L4).

Lazio, under Simone Inzaghi, have not managed to score a single goal against Inter in Serie ATIM during the encounters in the first half of the season - in four previous meetings they havezero goals scored and seven conceded (D1 L3).

Since the 2014/15 season, Inter have won four Serie A TIM away games against Lazio (L2), inthis period they have only achieved more away wins against Udinese (five). The last leaguedraw between Nerazzurri and Biancocelesti at the Olimpico was back in March 2008.

Lazio have lost 50% (seven) of their last 14 Serie A TIM games (W6 D1) and have conceded atleast two goals in each of those seven defeats.

Inter have scored nine goals in their opening two games in Serie A TIM this season, theNerazzurri have never netted more at this stage. The most they have scored after three gamesof a Serie A TIM campaign is 13 goals, in 1960/61.

Since the beginning of 2010, Inter have lost 11 Serie A TIM games at the Olimpico, at leastfour more than they have managed to lose in any other stadium on the road (Ferraris isranked second, with seven losses).

Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi has lost three home games against Inter in Serie A TIM, versusno other side has he lost on more occasions against in the competition (three also againstNapoli and Juventus).

Of sides that he has faced at least three times with Lazio in Serie A TIM, Inter are the only oneagainst which Ciro Immobile has not found the net (excluding penalties) in the Italiantop-flight (eight matches).

Arturo Vidal has been involved in more Serie A TIM goals against Lazio than any other side(six - four goals, two assists) – in addition, the Olimpico is the only stadium where the Intermidfielder has scored more than one away goal in the Italian top-flight (a brace in April 2013against the Biancocelesti).

Inter striker Romelu Lukaku has played more minutes in Serie A TIM without being involved ina goal against Lazio than versus any other side in the competition (173)

04/10/2020 15:00 - ENNIO TARDINI

PARMA HELLAS VERONAVsHellas Verona are unbeaten in eight of the last nine Serie A TIM games against Parma (W6D2) – their only defeat was back in March 2014 (0-2).

Parma are unbeaten in six of their eight home Serie A TIM matches against Verona (W3 D3),however Hellas Verona won 1-0 in the most recent fixture at Tardini stadium (October 2019).

Since February 2020, Parma have lost seven of their nine Serie A TIM matches at Tardinistadium (W1 D1) - no other team have lost more games on home soil in the period.

Parma have conceded in each of their last 16 league games, their longest ever run in Serie ATIM – among current top-flight teams, only Bologna are on a longer streak (35).

Hellas Verona have won both of their first two Serie A TIM games for the second time in theirhistory, after 1984/85 (in that case they won the Scudetto, including a win in their third game).

Hellas Verona, AC Milan and Napoli are the only three sides yet to concede a goal in Serie ATIM this season – in the last five Serie A TIM campaigns, no team has managed to keep threeclean sheets in their first three games of the season.

Hellas Verona are the team to have won the fewest corners in Serie A TIM this season (onlyone) – on the other hand, no team have more corners than Parma (13).

Parma’s Jasmin Kurtic has scored two goals in his last four Serie A TIM games against Verona– since 2017/18, only against Bologna (three goals) has he netted more.

Hellas Verona are the only team that have fielded three players born after 1/1/2000 in thecurrent Serie A TIM campaign: Ivan Ilic, Matteo Lovato and Ebrima Colley.

Antonin Barak’s last goal in Serie A TIM was back in MD38 of last season in a game betweenLecce and Parma. He could become the first Czech footballer to score for Hellas Verona inSerie A TIM.

04/10/2020 18:00 - GIUSEPPE MEAZZA

MILAN SPEZIAVsThis is the first fixture in the Italian top-flight between AC Milan and Spezia; the Rossoneri won3-1 in their only previous game against the Aquilotti in the Coppa Italia in January 2014.

AC Milan are unbeaten in their last 14 league games against newly-promoted sides (W9 D5).However, each of the last two played at Meazza ended in a draw (2-2 v Lecce in October2019 and 1-1 v Hellas Verona in February 2020).

AC Milan are the only team still unbeaten in Serie A TIM in the post-lockdown (W11 D3); thelast time they registered a longer streak without defeat was back in March 2007 (15).

AC Milan have netted in 22 league matches in a row; only in 1949 (27) and in 1973 (29)have they scored in more consecutive Serie A TIM games.

Prior to Spezia (three points in two league games), the last debuting team to have picked up3+ points after their first three Serie A TIM matches was Siena in 2003/04.

AC Milan could win their first three matches of a Serie A TIM campaign for the second time in21st century, after 2006/07.

AC Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu scored against each of the newly-promoted sides in Serie A TIMlast season – however, he failed to net against Crotone in MD2 this season.

AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali has been involved in two goals in three matches against Spezia inSerie B: an assist in September 2018 and one goal in January 2019.

For the second time in his career among Serie A TIM and Serie B, Spezia’s Andrej Galabinovscored in each his first two league games of a season (also in 2015/16 with Novara in Serie B).

04/10/2020 20:45 - ALLIANZ STADIUM

JUVENTUS NAPOLIVsSince 2011/12 season (the first of the consecutive Italian top-flight campaigns won byJuventus), only Roma (five) have won more games than Napoli (four) against the Bianconeri inSerie A TIM.

Napoli won their last league match against Juventus, a 2-1 victory last January; the last timethe Partenopei won consecutive games against the Bianconeri in Serie A TIM was in January2011.

Juventus and Napoli have both scored in each of their last four league encounters, the lasttime neither side kept a clean sheet in at least five consecutive Serie A TIM meetings matcheswas back in 1990.

Juventus have won eight of their last nine home games against Napoli in Serie A TIM; the onlyBianconeri defeat in this spell came in April 2018, Kalidou Koulibaly scoring the only goal inthe second-half injury time.

Juventus are unbeaten in the opening three games of a Serie A TIM season in eight of theprevious nine campaigns (from 2011/12), the only exception in this run was in the 2015/16season, under Massimiliano Allegri.

Napoli have won their opening two games in Serie A TIM this season without conceding goals,only once have the Partenopei managed to win each of their opening three league gameswhilst keeping a clean sheet (the 1966/67 season).

Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso played 218 Serie A TIM matches together with AC Milan,recording a win ratio of 60% (131 out of 218): 179 of these games came under CarloAncelotti, former coach of both teams in this meeting.

Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to have scored on average more than onegoal per game in the Top-5 European leagues in 2020 (24 goals in 21 appearances) amongplayers to have played at least two games in this period.

Napoli player Hirving Lozano scored his first Serie A TIM goal on his debut in the Italiantop-flight against Juventus in August 2019, becoming the first Napoli player to score on hisSerie A TIM debut against the Bianconeri since Roberto Stellone in September 2000.