After a tough week in which Sassuolo lost in Turin then crashed out of the Coppa Italia to lower-league opposition, the Neroverdi welcome Emilian rivals Parma to the Mapei Stadium on Sunday.
With just one point and one goal in their last six games, the Crociati have descended into full-blown crisis - even after inviting Roberto D'Aversa back to the dugout.
Match preview
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Despair at an ignominious cup exit in midweek must now be overcome by a Sassuolo side whose form has decidedly declined of late.
Roberto De Zerbi's much-changed team were eliminated in the last 16 by second-tier SPAL on Thursday night, with the Neroverdi heading into a tailspin after the dismissal of chief creator Filip Djuricic just after half time.
Despite twice striking the woodwork they ultimately went down to a 2-0 defeat, which will sting for a club in search of a first-ever Coppa Italia triumph - particularly with an appetising clash against Juventus set for the quarter-finals.
Still seventh in the Serie A standings despite last week's league loss to Juve - their third reverse in five games - Sassuolo have picked up 29 points in the league this season.
Against lowly Parma, a motivated De Zerbi will want to get back on track and steer his team to their highest points tally in the first half of a Serie A season.
Their current record of 31 in 2015-16 is ripe for replacement and after a trip to Lazio next week, five forthcoming fixtures against teams currently placed 13th or below should set them up for a positive start to the second half of the campaign.
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Under previously discarded boss Roberto D'Aversa, 19th-placed Parma failed to experienced the 'new manager bounce' so often enjoyed by those clubs that switch managers, after a 2-0 loss at home to Lazio.
Including the tail end of Fabio Liverani's doomed spell in charge, Parma have lost their last five league games - their worst run since 2014. Only registering one goal in their last six matches and failing to find the net in the most recent three, it is clear where the Gialloblu's problems predominantly lie.
Previously productive forwards Andreas Cornelius (832 minutes) and Roberto Inglese (546) are the Serie A strikers with the most minutes played without scoring this season.
D'Aversa has spoken of the need to add experience to his squad in the current transfer window, though it has been a quiet start to the market for a club that are not exactly cash-rich. Certainly, attacking reinforcements should be a priority.
Ahead of a rematch with Lazio in the Coppa Italia next week - this time at Stadio Olimpico - Parma are faced with the short journey to their Emilian counterparts on Sunday. In their current form, it is a trip they will undertake with some trepidation.
Sassuolo Serie A form: DLWLWL
Sassuolo form (all competitions): LWLWLL
Parma Serie A form: DLLLLL
Team News
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Roberto De Zerbi has a concerning list of injuries ahead of Parma's visit, with Filippo Romagna and star forward Domenico Berardi not set to return until the end of the month and Mehdi Bourabia also doubtful due to a thigh strain. Full-back Jeremy Toljan missed out on the squad to play SPAL and his involvement on Sunday remains in the balance.
Additionally, suspended midfielder Pedro Obiang is unavailable due to his red card against Juventus, so Francesco Magnanelli or Maxime Lopez will join Manuel Locatelli in the Sassuolo engine room.
Gregoire Defrel - a scorer in the Juve defeat - will compete with Filip Djuricic and Hamed Traore for a spot in support of Francesco Caputo.
Parma coach Roberto D'Aversa is fast running out of bodies to stock his trademark 4-3-3 setup with, as Vincent Laurini, Yordan Osorio, Yann Karamoh, Lautaro Valenti and the suspended Hernani are all absent.
Defenders Riccardo Gagliolo, Simone Iacoponi and Botond Balogh are all doubtful too, with Juraj Kucka also facing further tests before the game.
If Kucka is unavailable, then Swiss teenager Simon Sohm will continue with Gervinho alongside either Roberto Inglese or Andreas Cornelius in attack.
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Muldur, Chiriches, Ferrari, Rogerio; Lopez, Locatelli; Defrel, Djuricic, Boga; Caputo
Parma possible starting lineup:
Sepe; Grassi, Busi, Alves, Pezzella; Cyprien, Brugman, Kurtic; Kucka, Inglese, Gervinho
We say: Sassuolo 1-1 Parma
Though it is unlikely that confidence-drained Parma can break their winless streak at the Mapei Stadium, their hosts have been faltering of late - with Berardi's absence and the decline of Djuricic sapping life from the Sassuolo attack.
Now back under the guidance of a fondly-regarded former manager, Parma can prove there is still life in the Crociati yet.
