Matchday 16 TIM 2020-21 6 January 2021 06/01/2021 12:30 - SARDEGNA ARENA Vs BENEVENTO Cagliari have won each of their Serie A TIM meetings against Benevento - both by a 2-1 score line in the 2017/18 campaign. Cagliari have only won one of their last eight Serie A TIM matches against promoted sides (4-2 v Crotone in October – D5 L2). Cagliari are one of two current teams on the joint-longest run without a win in Serie A TIM (eight, level with Spezia) – D4 L4. Cagliari have lost their last two league games and could lose three in a row under the same coach for the first time since March 2020 – Rolando Maran was sacked in that run. 75% of Benevento’s away wins in Serie A TIM have come under (3/4), despite him being the side’s manager in only 27% of their Serie A TIM games on the road (7/26). After their 2-0 win against Udinese on MD14, Benevento could win two away matches in a row for the first time in their Serie A TIM history. Benevento have scored the fewest goals in the opening 30 minutes of games (three, level with Udinese) and conceded the joint-most in the same time frame (level with Bologna) in Serie A TIM this season. Benevento have scored the highest percentage of goals from outside the box in Serie A TIM this term (29% - 5/17) – whilst Cagliari have conceded the most goals from such distance (seven). Cagliari’s striker; João Pedro could score 10+ top-flight goals for the second campaign (18 last term) – he has scored nine goals so far, one less than he had last term at this stage of the competition. Cagliari are the side against which Benevento’s striker Gianluca Lapadula has been involved in the most Serie A TIM goals: four (three goals, one assist) in five meetings.

06/01/2021 15:00 - GEWISS STADIUM ATALANTA Vs PARMA Atalanta have won each of their last four Serie A TIM meetings against Parma, scoring 13 goals (3.3 per game on average) and conceding only two. Atalanta have only lost one of their last 12 Serie A TIM games against Parma: 0-4 in February 2014 (W8 D3) – the last Parma goal against them was scored by Ezequiel Schelotto in that match. Atalanta have scored at least three goals in each of their last three Serie A TIM home matches – only in 1951 have they scored three or more in four consecutive such games. Parma have only won one of their opening seven Serie A TIM away matches to a season for the first time since 2014/15 (when they were eventually relegated). Parma have failed to find the net in the most Serie A TIM games this season (seven).

Atalanta have the highest touches in the opposition box ratio in Serie A TIM this season (one in every 23.5 touches is inside the opp box). Parma have conceded the most goals from crosses in Serie A TIM this season (eight) – however, only one of the last 27 Atalanta goals in the competition came from cross. Atalanta’s striker Luis Muriel has the highest min/goals ratio under a single manager in Serie A TIM (in the three points for a win era) - a goal every 63 minutes under (min. 270 minutes played). Each of Duván Zapata’s last five Serie A TIM goals was scored at home; only Romelu Lukaku (eight) and (seven) have scored more home goals than him in the current Serie A TIM campaign. Parma’s Andreas Cornelius played 23 Serie A TIM games for Atalnta in 2017-18, scoring three goals. He is the player to have attempted the most shots without a single goal in Serie A TIM in 2020/21 (13).

06/01/2021 15:00 - RENATO DALL'ARA BOLOGNA Vs UDINESE Udinese have won seven of their last 11 Serie A TIM meetings against Bologna (D1 L3); Bologna are the side against which they have won the most games (seven) in the top-flight since 2014. Udinese have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven Serie A TIM away games against sides from Emilia-Romagna, including the last three. Bologna have drawn four successive Serie A TIM games for the first time since April 2013, under (they drew five in that run). Bologna have not repeated the same result in two consecutive games in their last 17 home league matches (they drew against Atalanta in the most recent one). Udinese are winless in their last four Serie A TIM matches (D2 L2) – they last went five in a row without a single win in June 2020. Udinese’s last six Serie A TIM goals have been scored by six different players (Marvin Zeegelaar the last one) – they last scored seven league goals in a row with seven different players back in March 2019. No side has scored fewer Serie A TIM goals than Udinese in the first 30 minutes of play (3) this season – whilst, none has conceded more than Bologna (11) in the same time frame (11). This could be Kevin Lasagna’s 150th Serie A TIM appearance. Despite having failed to score in his last 11 Serie A TIM starts, he is the Udinese player with the most shots on target in the current top-flight campaign (eight). has found the net in both his Serie A TIM starts against Udinese for Bologna – however, the Rossoblu has earned only one point in these games. Rodrigo de Paul has scored one goal, from the penalty spot, against Bologna in Serie A TIM; the Argentinian has also been directly involved in the last three goals scored by Udinese away from home against this side in the top-flight (three assists).

06/01/2021 15:00 - EZIO SCIDA CROTONE Vs ROMA AS Roma have won each of their four Serie A TIM matches against Crotone with an aggregate score of 9-0; they are the only side against which Crotone have always failed to score against in the competition. AS Roma have won the most successive Serie A TIM games against promoted sides (24) and found the net in the most successive such matches (51). After wins against Spezia and Parma, Crotone could win three Serie A TIM home games in a row for the first time in the competition. Crotone have conceded 4+ goals in five Serie A TIM games this season, at least two more than any other side. AS Roma have won seven of their 10 leagues games since November (D1 L2) – in all competitions they have won 10 matches in that time frame, a joint-record among Serie A TIM teams. AS Roma’s last five Serie A TIM away matches have seen 25 goals (5 per game on average); two wins and two defeats for the Giallorossi in the process (D1). AS Roma has scored the most goals in the first half of Serie A TIM matches this season (19), whilst Crotone have conceded the most (19) in the same period. Junior Messias has scored four of Crotone’s six Serie A TIM home goals since November.

AS Roma’s Edin Dzeko has found the net in each of his last three Serie A TIM matches and could score in four in a row for the first time since October 2017 (five). AS Roma’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been involved in the most goal-ending open play sequences in Serie A TIM this season: 17, at least four more than anyone else. 06/01/2021 15:00 - OLIMPICO LAZIO Vs FIORENTINA Fiorentina are the side against which Lazio have won the most Serie A TIM games (54 – D42 L46).

The last time Fiorentina beat Lazio in Serie A TIM was back in May 2017 (3-2); two draws and four defeats for them since then, (including the last two). After wins in 2018 and 2020, Lazio could win three consecutive Serie A TIM home matches against Fiorentina for the first time since 2001 (four). Lazio have picked up less than nine Serie A TIM points in their first seven seasonal home games for the first time since 2009/10: they have just eight home points so far, fewer than 10 sides. After their 3-0 win against Juventus, Fiorentina could keep clean sheets in two Serie A TIM away matches in a row for the first time since December 2018. Fiorentina have failed to score in six Serie A TIM games this season; only Parma (seven) have had more games without scoring – on the other hand, only Inter and AC have had fewer than Lazio (one; 0-3 v Sampdoria). Lazio have conceded 63% of their Serie A TIM goals in the first half (15/24), the highest percentage this term. is the second player in Lazio’s history to have scored 10+ goals in five consecutive Serie A TIM campaigns, after Giuseppe Signori (between 1992/93 and 1996/97). Lazio’s Luis Alberto has been involved in seven goals in six Serie A TIM matches against Fiorentina (three goals, four assists) – against no other side has he had more in the competition. Fiorentina’s José Callejón has scored more goals against Lazio in Serie A TIM than against any other opponent (six goals, four on the road) – the Olimpico is the stadium in which the Spaniard has scored his joint-most away goals in the competition (level with the Meazza).

06/01/2021 15:00 - LUIGI FERRARIS SAMPDORIA Vs INTER Inter have won each of their last six Serie A TIM games against Sampdoria; only in 1951 have the Nerazzurri recorded seven consecutive wins against the Blucerchiati in the competition. The last draw between Inter and Sampdoria in Serie A TIM was back in October 2015 (1-1 with goals netted by Muriel and Perisic); since then, seven Nerazzurri wins against two for the Blucerchiati. After a streak of seven games, between 2015 and 2018, in which they had picked up only one point, Inter have won each of their last six Serie A TIM matches played at Ferraris stadium against Sampdoria and Genoa. Sampdoria have scored in each of their last 15 Serie A TIM games at Ferraris stadium: the last time they had a longer such streak on home soil in the top-flight was back in 1994 (16). Inter have won each of their last eight league games - in their Serie A TIM history, only between October 2006 and February 2007 have they recorded a longer such streak: 17. Inter have scored in each of their last 13 away Serie A TIM matches (2.5 goals per match on average), going unbeaten during this period (W9 D4). In the last 55 years, only two teams have scored 40+ goals in the first 15 matches of a Serie A TIM season: Juventus in 2017/18 (41) and Inter in 2020/21 (40). Antonio Candreva played 124 Serie A TIM games for inter, scoring 12 goals: the Nerazzurri are also his favourite opponent the competition (five goals, each of these for Lazio). If Lautaro Martínez scores in this game (nine goals for him in 2020/21so far), Inter will have two players with 10+ goals after the first 16 matches in a Serie A TIM season for the first time since 1958/59 (Angelillo and Firmani). Should he feature, Inter’s Arturo Vidal (currently 399 apps) could become the first Chilean player to reach 400 appearances in the Top-5 European leagues in the 2000s.

06/01/2021 15:00 - MAPEI STADIUM SASSUOLO Vs GENOA After winning 5-0 last July, Sassuolo could win two matches in a row against Genoa for just the second time in Serie A TIM, having previously done so between 2016 and 2017. Sassuolo's only defeat in seven Serie A TIM matches at Mapei Stadium against Genoa came back in April 2016: 0-1 courtesy of a Blerim Dzemaili goal (W5 D1). Sassuolo lost their last Serie A TIM home game against AC Milan: they last suffered back-to-back league defeats on home soil in October 2019 (a run of three). Genoa will be aiming to go three consecutive Serie A TIM games without defeat for the first time since February 2020 (a streak of four - W2 D2). Genoa have conceded in each of their last 12 Serie A TIM matches, last going longer without a clean sheet in the competition in December 2018 (13). Under Ballardini, Genoa have won their last two away Serie A TIM matches (2-1 v Frosinone in September 2018 and 2-1 v Spezia last December): the Italian coach has never won three games in a row on the road in the competition. Sassuolo’s has been involved in 10 goals (four goals and six assists in 13 matches) in Serie A TIM against Genoa: only against AC Milan has he been involved in more (12); in his most recent appearance against the Ligurian side (5-0 last July) he became the first Sassuolo player to provide three assists in a single Serie A TIM match. Francesco Caputo scored a brace in his last Serie A TIM match against Genoa, at Mapei stadium last July - the Sassuolo striker made his debut in the top-flight against the Rossoblu, in October 2010 with Bari. has netted five goals in Serie A TIM this season, the last time he scored more was in 2017/18 (six) – the Italian striker has scored four of Genoa’s last five goals in the top-flight.

06/01/2021 15:00 - OLIMPICO GRANDE TORINO TORINO Vs HELLAS The last time Torino won a Serie A TIM game against Verona was back in February 2015 (3-1); since then, one win for the Gialloblù and five draws. Verona have lost only one of their last 10 Serie A TIM away games against Torino (5-1 in November 2001); seven draws and two wins in this run. Having won 3-0 against Parma last time out, Torino will be looking to secure back-to-back Serie A TIM victories for the first time since January 2020 (v AS Roma and Bologna). Torino have failed to win any of their opening seven home games in a Serie A TIM season for the first time in the club’s history. Verona have scored in each of their last seven Serie A TIM games, last going on a longer such run in February 2020 (12). Verona have won three of their last four away games in Serie A TIM (D1), as many as they managed to win in their previous 30 on the road. Verona’s games have averaged only 2.0 goals per game in Serie A TIM this season, the lowest of any side in the competition this campaign. Torino manager has faced Verona on more occasions without ever losing in Serie A TIM than against any other side (P5 W4 D1). Torino’s Simone Verdi has had a hand in five goals (one goal and four assists) in four appearances against Verona in Serie A TIM. Mattia Zaccagni has scored each of the last three goals Verona have netted in Serie A TIM after the 70th minute. 06/01/2021 18:00 - DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA NAPOLI Vs SPEZIA Napoli have won each of their last five games against Spezia (in and ), having gone winless in the previous five (D2 L3, all in Serie B). Napoli have lost only one of the last 34 Serie A TIM games against sides from Liguria (0-3 v Sampdoria in September 2018); 25 wins and eight draws in this run. The last Serie A TIM draw for Napoli against a newly promoted side came against Pescara in August 2016 (2-2); since then, 23 wins and two loss for the Azzurri against such opposition. Having drawn 1-1 with Torino on MD14, Napoli could draw back-to-back Serie A TIM home games for the first time since November 2019 (v Atalanta and Genoa). Having lost 0-1 against Verona last time out, Spezia could fail to score in consecutive Serie A TIM games for the first time in their history. Having picked up seven points from their first four away games in Serie A TIM, Spezia have earned only one point from their last three, conceding 2.7 goals on average in this run. Each of Napoli’s last six home goals have been scored by different players in the second half.

Napoli’s has been involved in six goals in his last six Serie A TIM games (four goals and two assists) - only , Ciro Immobile and Lautaro Martínez (seven) have registered more goal involvements in the competition since 28 November. Napoli are Diego Farias’ favourite opponent in Serie A TIM, with the Spezia forward scoring four goals against them, including his first brace in the competition back in November 2014 with Cagliari.

06/01/2021 20:45 - MILAN Vs JUVENTUS Having won 4-2 back in July 2020, AC Milan will be looking for back-to-back wins against Juventus in Serie A TIM for the first time since 2010, under Leonardo. AC Milan and Juventus will meet in Serie A TIM with the Rossoneri ahead of the Bianconeri in the table for the first time since November 2015 – however, Juventus won that encounter 1-0, courtesy of a goal scored by . The last draw between Juventus and AC Milan came back in February 2012 (1-1, goals scored by Nocerino and Matri) - since then three wins for the Rossoneri and 13 for the Bianconeri. AC Milan have scored 2+ goals in each of their last 17 Serie A TIM games, in the history of the top-5 European Leagues only three sides have had a longer such run: Bayern München (20 in 2014), Barcelona (18 in 2013 and 2006, and 19 in 1948) and Manchester United (22 in 1959). AC Milan have scored in each of their last 17 home games in the top-flight, a record for the Rossoneri since 2010 - the last time they failed to net in a home Serie A TIM game came exactly one year ago (0-0 v Sampdoria the 6 of January). Having won 4-0 at the Tardini against Parma, Juventus will be aiming to keep consecutive away clean sheets in Serie A TIM for the first time since September 2019, the first two away matches under Maurizio Sarri. 41% of the games won by AC Milan in Serie A TIM in the 2000’s have come with on the pitch (167/407). After leaving the Rossoneri, Pirlo won five of his seven league games against AC Milan as a player with Juventus (D1 L1). Against Benevento, Rafael Leão became the second youngest foreign player to score 10 goals for AC Milan in Serie A TIM (21 years and 207 days), after Alexandre Pato (19 years and 19 days) - the Portuguese has been involved in seven goals in 11 appearances in Serie A TIM this campaign (four goals and three assists), as many goal involvements as he managed in 31 appearances last season. Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 64% of his goals away from home in Serie A TIM this season (9/14): this is his highest such ratio in a season in the top 5 European leagues. Paulo Dybala has scored seven goals in 11 Serie A TIM games against AC Milan, despite failing to score at the against the Rossoneri with Juventus.