Lazio's Unbeaten Run Faces Its Sternest Test at Sassuolo

Sassuolo host Lazio in Serie A on Tuesday 27 October, kick-off at 17:30 UK time. On paper this looks like a comfortable afternoon for the visitors. It won't be. Nothing in football is comfortable, and Sassuolo's home record tells you they will make Lazio work.

Sassuolo: Goals at Both Ends, Nothing to Shout About

The thing is, Sassuolo's form is the definition of inconsistency. Two wins, one draw, two losses across their last five Serie A matches. The sequence reads LWDWL. They beat Juventus 3-2 at home. They then lost to Monza 1-2. That tells you everything about where this side is right now.

Sassuolo have scored nine goals in those five matches. They have also conceded nine. Their clean sheet percentage stands at zero. Every single one of those five matches has produced goals at both ends. That is not a defensive unit built on solid basics. That is a team inviting pressure and hoping their attack bails them out.

Their injury situation makes things worse. Sassuolo are missing a player who has been out since June with a major injury, expected back in January at the earliest. Two further moderate injuries have also been disrupting their squad. When you are already shipping goals freely, losing bodies in key positions is the last thing you need.

Lazio: Four Wins From Five, and They Know How to Keep It Tight

Listen, Lazio's recent form is not a fluke. Four wins and one draw from their last five Serie A matches. The only result they dropped was a 2-2 draw with AC Milan, which is no embarrassment. They have beaten Venezia, Udinese, Genoa, and Bologna. They have done it without drama. They have done it with desire and organisation.

Their numbers back the eye test. Eight goals scored, three conceded. A clean sheet percentage of 60 percent. Three shutouts from five matches. That is a team that understands its defensive responsibilities. That is accountability at the back end. Compare that to Sassuolo's zero clean sheets, and you understand why Lazio go into this match as the better-structured side.

Lazio do have injury concerns of their own. They are carrying a significant number of absentees, including two major long-term injuries and several moderate ones. That is a dent in any squad. But their form suggests whoever is available is doing the job and doing it properly.

Head to Head: Lazio Won the Last One

There is only one previous meeting in this data set. Lazio won it 2-1 earlier this year, with both teams scoring. That both teams scored will not surprise anyone who has watched Sassuolo concede this season. Lazio got the result. End of.

The Verdict

Sassuolo will not make this easy. Their attacking numbers suggest they will threaten, and at home they carry more belief. But the thing is, you cannot keep conceding the way Sassuolo have been and expect to beat a team as organised and driven as Lazio right now.

Lazio's defensive standards are clearly superior. Their winning mentality is clear from the results. Sassuolo are inconsistent and leaky. I do not need a laptop to see which way this is pointing. Lazio to win and keep it relatively tight. The basics will decide this one, and right now Lazio are the side executing them.