Sassuolo welcome Torino to the Mapei Stadium on 29 August 2026 with both clubs sitting on zero points after narrow opening weekend defeats. Sassuolo were beaten 2-1 by Atalanta, Torino fell by the same scoreline to AC Milan and now the two sides meet with the urgency that only a second consecutive loss can bring. Three points here won't define anyone's season but they'd at least stop the bleeding. Sassuolo beat Cesena 3-0 in the Coppa Italia on 17 August before losing 2-1 to Atalanta in their Serie A opener, while Torino edged past Carrarese 1-0 in the cup then fell 2-1 to Milan on matchday one.
Alberto Aquilani and Ignazio Abate have never faced each other as head coaches, both having been appointed on 12 June 2026 with Aquilani replacing Fabio Grosso and Abate taking over from Roberto D'Aversa, so there is nothing to go on beyond what the two squads show this weekend.
Sassuolo go into this one short of two players Aquilani would most want available. Ismaël Koné is out with a tibia/fibula fracture until around March 2027 and Domenico Berardi remains sidelined with ankle problems, leaving Matic as the most experienced central option Aquilani has. Torino have no notable absentees, giving Abate a full squad to choose from, which is a real advantage when the opposition are missing their most reliable ball carrier.
Aquilani's Sassuolo build from the back with Armand Laurienté on the left flank and Cristian Volpato occupying the half space as the main creative outlets, though without Koné to drive through the lines and Berardi to receive between them their patterns become easier to read. Torino's compact mid block is the specific threat here: Sassuolo have no natural ball carrier left to break lines, which is a real problem against a side set up to sit in and absorb. Torino under Abate counter through Nikola Vlasic, who drops deep to collect before driving forward, with Giovanni Simeone and Che Adams as the forward options. Vlasic driving into a disorganised backline is Torino's clearest route to goal and Sassuolo's high line, already stretched thin by those absences, could give him exactly the space he needs. Expect Sassuolo to dominate possession without doing much with it, while Torino stay narrow, stay patient and wait for the right moment.
Torino hold a clear historical advantage with 15 wins to Sassuolo's 6 across 32 meetings and 11 draws and they have won the last two league meetings. Set pieces are one of the more realistic routes to a goal here. Sassuolo may look to Matic's aerial presence and Laurienté's set piece delivery, while Torino will try to stay compact and threaten on the break from dead balls.
The case for a 0-0 is fairly strong: without Koné to drive transitions or Berardi to receive between the lines, Sassuolo have no obvious way to unlock a low block and Torino's compact setup is built to deny exactly that. Abate is unlikely to change shape away from home, so Sassuolo's attacking absences give Torino enough reason to hold their shape and Sassuolo enough reason to sit on a point.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
