AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Match Preview
The Giallorossi return to the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, 11 January 2026, looking to solidify their European push against a Sassuolo side struggling for consistency. AS Roma sit 5th in the table with 36 points, riding high after a solid 2–0 away victory at Lecce just days ago. However, their squad is stretched thin by injuries and AFCON departures. Sassuolo, currently 11th with 23 points, arrive in the capital off the back of a demoralizing 0–3 home defeat to Juventus on Wednesday. With only two wins in their last five games, the Neroverdi need a response, but their poor recent record against Roma (lost 3 of the last 4) suggests a tough afternoon awaits.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Match Info
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 20)
- Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome (Capacity: 70,634)
- Date: Sunday, 11 January 2026
- Kickoff: 18:00 CET | 17:00 GMT | 12:00 ET
- Referee: TBC (AIA Appointment)
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Match Stakes
AS Roma (5th — 36 pts):
- Win → Moves to 39 pts; keeps pressure on the Top 4 (Champions League spots).
- Draw → Maintains 5th place but risks losing ground to Lazio/Atalanta.
- Loss → Disappointing home result; highlights squad depth issues.
Sassuolo (11th — 23 pts):
- Win → Moves to 26 pts; pushes them towards the top half of the table.
- Draw → A valuable point away at a big club; stops the bleeding after the Juve loss.
- Loss → Stays stuck in mid-table; extends winless run to 5 matches.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Team News
AS Roma:
- Dovbyk A. — Out (Muscle Injury – Top Striker Missing)
- Cristante B. — Out (Suspended – Yellow Cards)
- Ndicka E. — Out (International Duty – AFCON with Ivory Coast)
- El Aynaoui N. — Out (International Duty – AFCON)
- Pellegrini Lo. — Out (Thigh Injury – Captain Missing)
- Bove E. — Out (Heart Problems)
- Baldanzi T. — Questionable (Illness)
- Bailey L. — Questionable (Thigh Injury)
- Rensch D. — Questionable (Illness)
- Crisis in Midfield: With Cristante, Pellegrini, and Bove out, Roma’s engine room is severely depleted. Expect Paredes or Koné to step up.
Sassuolo:
- Coulibaly W. — Out (International Duty – AFCON with Mali)
- Pieragnolo E. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Berardi D. — Questionable (Muscle Injury – Key Man Doubtful)
- Thorstvedt K. — Questionable (Injury)
- Boloca D. — Questionable (Knee Injury)
- Volpato C. — Questionable (Muscle Injury – Misses reunion with former club?)
- Fatigue: Sassuolo played Juventus on Wednesday (Jan 7), giving them one day less rest than Roma (who played Jan 6).
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
AS Roma
- 06/01 — 2–0 vs Lecce (Serie A)
- 04/01 — 0–1 vs Atalanta (Serie A)
- 30/12 — 3–1 vs Genoa (Serie A)
- 21/12 — 1–2 vs Juventus (Serie A)
- 16/12 — 1–0 vs Como (Serie A)
Sassuolo
- 07/01 — 0–3 vs Juventus (Serie A)
- 03/01 — 1–1 vs Parma (Serie A)
- 28/12 — 1–1 vs Bologna (Serie A)
- 21/12 — 0–1 vs Torino (Serie A)
- 14/12 — 2–2 vs AC Milan (Serie A)
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 26/10/2025 — Sassuolo 0–1 AS Roma (Serie A)
- 17/03/2024 — AS Roma 1–0 Sassuolo (Serie A)
- 03/12/2023 — Sassuolo 1–2 AS Roma (Serie A)
- 12/03/2023 — AS Roma 3–4 Sassuolo (Serie A)
- 09/11/2022 — Sassuolo 1–1 AS Roma (Serie A)
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
AS Roma (3-4-2-1)
Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Hermoso; Celik, Paredes, Koné, Angelino; Dybala, Soulé; Shomurodov (or False 9 due to Dovbyk injury)
Sassuolo (4-2-3-1)
Consigli; Toljan, Erlic, Ferrari, Doig; Obiang, Racic; Laurienté, Bajrami, Castillejo; Mulattieri (if Berardi/Pinamonti unavailable)
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Impact Bench
AS Roma: Pisilli (Youth energy), Zalewski (Pace on wing)
Sassuolo: Ceide (Speed), Moro (Striker option)
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Tactical Analysis
AS Roma
Without their target man Artem Dovbyk, Roma will rely on the technical brilliance of Paulo Dybala and Matias Soulé. The plan will be to keep the ball on the ground and use quick combinations to unlock Sassuolo’s defense. However, the absence of Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini leaves them vulnerable in transition. They must be careful not to get caught out by Armand Laurienté’s pace.
Sassuolo
Sassuolo are in a slump. They haven’t won since mid-December and looked toothless against Juventus. If Domenico Berardi is fit, he changes everything; if not, they lack a focal point. Their best bet is to sit deep, exploit Roma’s makeshift midfield, and look for set-piece opportunities against a Roma defense missing Evan Ndicka’s aerial presence.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Key Battles
- Dybala vs Ferrari — The Jewel’s dribbling vs the veteran defender.
- Mancini vs Laurienté — Roma’s aggressor vs Sassuolo’s speedster.
- Paredes vs Bajrami — Battle for control in the center of the park.
- Svilar vs The Occasion — Roma’s keeper needs to organize a defense missing key leaders.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Spotlight Players
AS Roma — Matias Soulé
With Dovbyk out, Soulé must provide the goals. His ability to cut inside from the right and curl shots into the far corner will be Roma’s main weapon.
Sassuolo — Armand Laurienté
If Berardi misses out, Laurienté is the main man. He has the speed to terrify Roma’s wing-backs and needs to produce a moment of magic to salvage a result for the visitors.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Prediction
AS Roma 1–0 Sassuolo
Both teams are depleted, but Roma have the home advantage and slightly better depth in attacking areas (Dybala/Soulé). Sassuolo’s fatigue from the Wednesday night game against Juve, combined with their poor recent form, suggests they will struggle to get anything from the Olimpico. A narrow, gritty win for the Giallorossi.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Betting Insights
- AS Roma to Win — High Probability.
- Under 2.5 Goals — Likely (Both teams missing top scorers).
- Paulo Dybala to Score/Assist — Value Bet.
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — Where to Watch
- Italy: DAZN
- USA: Paramount+
- UK: TNT Sports
AS Roma vs Sassuolo — FAQs
Q: When is the AS Roma vs Sassuolo match?
A: The match is expected to kick off on Sunday, 11 January 2026, at 18:00 CET.
Q: Is Artem Dovbyk playing?
A: No. He is out with a muscle injury.
Q: Is Domenico Berardi playing?
A: He is listed as Questionable with a muscle injury. Check lineups 1 hour before kickoff.
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