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NederlandRelegation-threatened Torino host Sassuolo on Wednesday afternoon, looking to take advantage of their two Serie A games in hand and climb out of the bottom three.
This fixture was originally scheduled for February 26 but was postponed due to an outbreak of coronavirus at Il Toro's training ground.
Match preview
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Prior to the significant impact of COVID-19, which saw 10 positive cases in Torino's camp and two games postponed as a result, Davide Nicola was beginning to stabilise a sinking ship after replacing Marco Giampaolo at the helm in mid-January.
A run of five games without defeat, including four consecutive draws has not, however, been enough to steer Il Toro away from danger as they still sit in 18th place, the same position they were in when Nicola took charge and in fact one point further adrift of safety.
After a 16-day break in isolation, Torino have since played two Serie A matches, losing 4-2 to basement club Crotone and then falling short against league leaders Inter Milan last Sunday, with Lautaro Martinez's 85th-minute header snatching all three points in a 2-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
The Granata now have two games in hand and Nicola will be hoping that his players can brush aside their recent league defeats and head into their remaining fixtures with belief that they can claim precious points and move away from the relegation zone.
Torino remain the only Serie A side who have yet to win at home this campaign in 12 attempts, however they head into Wednesday's clash having won each of their last four home matches against Sassuolo, scoring 13 goals in the process.
Victory in midweek would provide a much-needed springboard for Torino heading into the final third of the campaign, with hopes of survival still very much alive.
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After a run of three games without a win, Sassuolo claimed all three points against Hellas Verona, last weekend, with Hamed Traore scoring in the 81st minute to seal an entertaining 3-2 victory at the Mapei Stadium.
That result moved the Neroverdi above Verona and up to eighth in the table, but they remain some way off the Europa League positions, with 11 points separating them from both fifth-placed Napoli and sixth-placed Roma.
Sassuolo have had no problems scoring goals this campaign, finding the net at least once in 22 of their 26 Serie A matches. However, defensive frailties have cost them several times, conceding in each of their last 15 league fixtures and winning just four of those games.
The Neroverdi have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the last couple of years since the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi in 2018, but even though his possession-based football has been successful going forward, problems at the back need to be addressed if they are to stay in the hunt for a top-six place.
Despite dominating October's encounter against Torino with 73% possession, Sassuolo had fewer shots on target than their opponents and conceded three goals, with late strikes from Vlad Chiriches and Francesco Caputo rescuing a 3-3 draw.
De Zerbi will be hoping that his side have learnt from that earlier meeting with Il Toro and that they can build on last weekend's victory by securing another three points on Wednesday.
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Team News
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Torino pair Wilfred Singo and Nicolas Nkoulou are to await results of coronavirus re-tests before kickoff and if they are deemed fit to play, then they could both feature in the matchday squad.
Experienced midfielder Tomas Rincon is back from suspension and is in contention to start for the hosts this weekend.
Left wing-back Cristian Ansaldi, who came off the bench against Inter Milan on Sunday, could be recalled to the starting lineup at the expense of Nicola Murru, while top goalscorer Andrea Belotti is expected to return up front alongside either Simone Zaza or Antonio Sanabria.
For Sassuolo, midfielder Mehdi Bourabia (hamstring) and centre-back Filippo Romagna (knee) are both ruled out with injuries.
Winger Jeremie Boga could return to the first XI, while Francesco Caputo, who is one goal away from scoring his 50th in Serie A, is expected to lead the line once again with either Filip Djuricic or Hamad Traore playing in behind.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Izzo, Lyanco, Bremer; Vojvoda, Rincon, Mandragora, Lukic, Ansaldi; Sanabria, Belotti
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Toljan, Ferrari, Chiriches, Rogerio; Locatelli, Obiang; Berardi, Traore, Boga; Caputo
We say: Torino 2-2 Sassuolo
Torino will fancy their chances of finding the net against Sassuolo this weekend, as they have scored in each of their last eight meetings against them.
The visitors will also believe that they have enough quality to secure a positive result against a relegation-threatened outfit but will be aware of the threat they posed in recent meetings against them.
Goals are to be expected on Wednesday afternoon, but the two sides may have to settle for a score draw at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
