When will Domenico Berardi return?
Whether Gian Piero Gasperini is the coach of a team can often be seen in the way they play. Both offensively and defensively, Gasperini’s teams engage in many direct duels across the entire field. As in his previous positions, the 67-year-old avoids taking risks in AS Roma vs. Sassuolo betting tips.
It is en vogue for many top teams to take short goal kicks these days. You don’t see that very often from the Giallorossi under Gasperini. On average, goalkeeper Mile Svilar kicks the ball about 44 meters across the field—the third highest value in Serie A and a notable statistic that is relevant to our AS Roma vs. Sassuolo prediction.
In addition, we are taking the form of the promoted team into account in our analysis of the AS Roma vs. Sassuolo odds. Fabio Grosso and his team recently had no chance against Juventus (0-3). For the Black and Greens’ last victory, we have to go back to December 6, 2025 (3-1 vs. Fiorentina).
This misery can be explained in part by the absence of club legend Domenico Berardi. The 31-year-old has been out since the end of November and is still recovering from a thigh injury. The 2021 European champion had already missed two games before that.
His creativity is sorely missed in Grosso’s team’s attacking play. While the reigning second division champions were able to compensate for his absence in the first two matches (3-1, 2-2), their goal tally subsequently flattened out noticeably (2 goals in 4 games). The newly promoted team faces a nearly impossible task as guests at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
AS Roma – Sassuolo Head-to-head record
Gian Piero Gasperini must have been pleased with the first leg of the duel. Roma scored the only goal of the game immediately after the first quarter of an hour following a high ball win. After that, they switched gears at lightning speed until Paulo Dybala converted a rebound to seal the victory. Overall, the Giallorossi had clear advantages (2.33:0.78 xG).
The hosts kept their foot on the gas on the last matchday as well. After a poor start to the 2026 calendar year (0-1 vs. Atalanta), the Giallorossi corrected their form and won 2-0 against Lecce (2.03:0.33 xG).
AS Roma – Sassuolo Tip
Not everything is going according to plan during Gasperini’s first season in Rome, but the capital club has already adopted the desired approach. AS Roma allow no more than 9.6 passes per defensive action in the front area of the field (2nd) and have already earned 136 high ball recoveries (2nd).
This has helped the fifth-placed team to victory in six of nine home games. In addition, the ball has only found the back of their net five times. This defense (12 goals conceded in total) is difficult to overcome. However, the effort required has so far been at the expense of the offense (22 goals in 19 league games).
If Gasperini’s back line is outplayed or a defender loses his individual match-up, one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A this season is still waiting between the posts. Mile Svilar has saved 83.1 percent of the shots on his goal and prevented 6.2 expected goals (2nd).
