Sassuolo vs Torino — Match Preview
A crucial mid-table battle takes place at the Mapei Stadium on Sunday, 21 December 2025. Sassuolo sit 9th in the table with 21 points and have been one of the league’s most entertaining sides, recently drawing 2–2 with AC Milan. They are unbeaten in their last two games and looking to push for a European spot. Torino, meanwhile, occupy 13th place with 17 points. The Granata snapped a three-game losing streak with a gritty 1–0 win over Cremonese last week but remain inconsistent away from home. With just four points separating the sides, a win for Torino would drag them back into the top-half conversation.
Sassuolo vs Torino — Match Info
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 16)
- Venue: Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore, Reggio Emilia (Capacity: 21,525)
- Date: Sunday, 21 December 2025
- Kickoff: 15:00 CET | 14:00 GMT | 09:00 ET
- Referee: Andrea Calzavara (ITA)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Match Stakes
Sassuolo (9th — 21 pts):
- Win → Moves to 24 pts; potentially climbs to 7th/8th depending on other results
- Draw → Maintains the gap to the bottom half; extends unbeaten run to 3 games
- Loss → Allows Torino to close the gap to just 1 point; stalls European ambitions
Torino (13th — 17 pts):
- Win → Moves to 20 pts; huge morale boost and closes gap to top 10
- Draw → A decent away point, but leaves them stuck in lower mid-table
- Loss → Momentum from Cremonese win evaporates; risk dropping to 14th/15th
Sassuolo vs Torino — Team News
Sassuolo:
- Thorstvedt K. — Out (Suspended – Yellow Cards)
- Berardi D. — Out (Muscle Injury – Captain Missing)
- Turati S. — Out (Wrist Injury – Starting GK likely out)
- Coulibaly W. — Out (International Duty)
- Boloca D. — Questionable (Knee Injury)
Torino:
- Schuurs P. — Out (Knee Injury – Long-term)
- Coco S. — Out (International Duty)
- Masina A. — Out (International Duty)
- Sazonov S. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Zapata D. — Available (Key Striker)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Sassuolo
- 14/12 — 2–2 vs AC Milan (Serie A)
- 06/12 — 3–1 vs Fiorentina (Serie A)
- 29/11 — 0–2 vs Como (Serie A)
- 25/11 — 2–2 vs Pisa (Serie A)
- 09/11 — 3–0 vs Atalanta (Serie A)
Torino
- 13/12 — 1–0 vs Cremonese (Serie A)
- 09/12 — 2–3 vs AC Milan (Serie A)
- 30/11 — 1–2 vs Lecce (Serie A)
- 24/11 — 1–5 vs Como (Serie A)
- 08/11 — 0–0 vs Juventus (Serie A)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 11/02/2024 — Sassuolo 1–1 Torino (Serie A)
- 07/11/2023 — Torino 2–1 Sassuolo (Serie A)
- 04/04/2023 — Sassuolo 1–1 Torino (Serie A)
- 18/09/2022 — Torino 0–1 Sassuolo (Serie A)
- 23/01/2022 — Torino 1–1 Sassuolo (Serie A)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Sassuolo (4-3-3)
Muric; Toljan, Romagna (if fit), Muharemovic, Doig; Obiang, Lipani, Vranckx; Volpato, Pinamonti, Lauriente
Torino (3-4-1-2)
Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Maripan, Vojvoda; Lazaro, Ricci, Ilic, Pedersen; Vlasic; Adams, Zapata
Sassuolo vs Torino — Impact Bench
Sassuolo: Mulattieri (Goal threat), Ceide (Pace on wing)
Torino: Sanabria (Proven finisher), Linetty (Midfield grit)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Tactical Analysis
Sassuolo
Fabio Grosso’s side plays proactive, attacking football, even without their talisman Domenico Berardi. They will look to dominate possession at home and exploit the wide areas through Laurienté. The suspension of Thorstvedt is a blow to their midfield physicality, so they must rely on quick passing to bypass Torino’s press. Their defense remains leaky (conceding 2+ goals in 3 of the last 4 games), which will encourage Torino.
Torino
Paolo Vanoli’s team will set up in their trademark 3-man defense. Torino will try to make this a physical battle, disrupting Sassuolo’s rhythm. Their wing-backs (Lazaro/Pedersen) will be key to pinning Sassuolo back. With Zapata and Che Adams upfront, they have the physicality to hurt Sassuolo on crosses and set-pieces, which has been an Achilles heel for the Neroverdi this season.
Sassuolo vs Torino — Key Battles
- Pinamonti vs Maripan — physical duel in the box
- Lauriente vs Walukiewicz — pace vs positioning
- Vlasic vs Obiang — the battle for space between the lines
- Zapata vs Muharemovic — veteran striker vs young defender
Sassuolo vs Torino — Spotlight Players
Sassuolo — Armand Laurienté
With Berardi out, the Frenchman is the main creative outlet. His dribbling and ability to cut inside and shoot will be Sassuolo’s best weapon against a deep Torino defense.
Torino — Duván Zapata
The Colombian striker is the focal point of everything Torino does. He needs to hold the ball up to bring Vlasic and Adams into play. If he dominates the aerial duels, Torino will create chances.
Sassuolo vs Torino — Prediction
Sassuolo 1–1 Torino
Sassuolo are strong at home but missing key players. Torino are gritty and desperate to build on their last win. History suggests a close game (3 draws in the last 5 meetings), and both sides have enough flaws to cancel each other out. A scoring draw seems the most likely outcome.
Sassuolo vs Torino — Betting Insights
- Both Teams to Score — YES (Sassuolo attack is good, defense is bad)
- Double Chance — Sassuolo or Draw
- Under 2.5 Goals — Risky, but H2H trend supports it (3 of last 5)
Sassuolo vs Torino — Where to Watch
- Italy: DAZN / Sky Sport
- UK: TNT Sports / OneFootball
- USA: Paramount+
- International: Bet365 (Live Stream)
Sassuolo vs Torino — FAQs
Q: When is the Sassuolo vs Torino match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 21 December 2025, at 15:00 CET.
Q: Is Domenico Berardi playing?
A: No. The Sassuolo captain is ruled out with a muscle injury.
Q: Who is the referee?
A: Andrea Calzavara will officiate the match.
Q: Is Perr Schuurs available for Torino?
A: No. He is out with a long-term knee injury.
Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community
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