Matchday 31 TIM 2019-20 7 - 9 July 2020 LECCE vs LAZIO This will be the 30th meeting in Serie A TIM between Lecce and Lazio – the Biancocelesti lead by 17 wins to six, with six draws shared between the sides. Lazio have won on their last three trips to Lecce in Serie A TIM – their best run in this fixture.

Lazio are unbeaten in their last 15 games against newly promoted teams in Serie A TIM (W13 D2).

Lecce have lost their last six Serie A TIM games, their worst run in the top-flight since February 1998. Lazio have equalled their best away record in a single Serie A TIM season (29 points in 14 games, level with 2017/18). Before Lecce, the last team to concede 70+ goals over the first 30 games of a Serie A TIM season had been Pro Patria (80 in 1955/56). Lecce have been leading in just eight games so far this Serie A TIM season – a league-low, while Lazio have won six of the 14 games in which they have been trailing. Lecce’s Khouma Babacar made his Serie A TIM debut in February 2010 against Lazio, against whom he has scored two goals in nine appearances, both coming while he was at Fiorentina. Luis Alberto’s next league game will be his 100th Serie A TIM appearance – he has already recorded 35 assists, a record in the first 100 games amongst players who have made their debut in the last 15 years. Since joining Lazio, Ciro Immobile has scored 21 goals in 19 meetings against newly promoted teams in Serie A TIM, including a goal in the reverse fixture against Lecce. vs JUVENTUS AC Milan have shared more draws (54) and conceded more goals (215) against Juventus than versus any other side in Serie A TIM. AC Milan have managed to beat Juventus only once in their last 14 league meetings, losing 13 times. Since the start of 2013, Milan’s 13 defeats to Juve is the most for any one side against another in Serie A TIM. AC Milan have failed to score in four of their last six home games against Juve (W1 L5).

AC Milan have scored in 12 consecutive league games – their best such run since September 2017. Juventus have scored at least two goals in each of their last seven games in the league – their best such run since October 2018 (nine games). AC Milan have faced only 28 shots after lockdown, while Juve have conceded 51 in the same period in Serie A TIM. Juventus (nine) and AC Milan (13) are the two teams that have conceded the fewest goals in Serie A TIM since start of 2020. AC Milan’s head coach has never beaten Juve in his managerial career (L11 D3).

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 23 goals in the 70 league games for Juventus between 2004 and 2006. The first of ’s record-breaking 648 Serie A TIM appearances was in November 1995 against AC Milan.

FIORENTINA vs CAGLIARI Fiorentina and Cagliari have met 77 times so far in Serie A TIM; the Viola lead by 32 wins to 23, with 22 draws being shared. After winning three games in a row against Cagliari, Fiorentina have taken just one point from their last four league meetings against the Sardinians, while they conceded five goals in the reverse fixture. Fiorentina have won only two of their last seven home games against Cagliari (D3 L2), previously they had won 16 in a row at the Franchi against the Sardinians. Each of the last four Serie A TIM games played at the Artemio Franchi have seen both sides score.

Cagliari have taken four points from their last two Serie A TIM games on the road, as many as they had picked-up from their previous eight away games. Fiorentina and Cagliari have each conceded just two goals in the opening 15 minutes of play in this season’s Serie A TIM – only Juventus have conceded fewer (1). has lost each of his five Serie A TIM meetings against Fiorentina in his managerial career. Erick Pulgar has already equalled his best goal tally in a single Serie A TIM campaign (six, level with last season). Each of his goals this season have come from the penalty spot. Dusan Vlahovic’s (Fiorentina) first ever Serie A TIM goal was against Cagliari in November 2019.

Cagliari’s Giovanni Simeone scored 20 goals in his 74 league appearances with Fiorentina between 2017 and 2019. GENOA vs NAPOLI Genoa and Napoli have met 95 times so far in Serie A TIM; the Partenopei lead by 36 wins to 25, with 34 draws shared between the sides. Napoli are unbeaten against Genoa in Serie A TIM since 2012 (W10 D5).

Genoa have hosted Napoli 47 times in Serie A TIM, winning 18 and sharing 17 draws (L12).

Napoli are unbeaten in their last seven trips to Genoa’s home ground (W5 D2).

Genoa have lost their last three home games, conceding at least three goals in each match – the Grigoni have lost four in a row at home only twice in the top-flight (in 2012 and in 1959). Genoa have averaged one shot every 53 touches in this season’s Serie A TIM – the worst ratio of any team this campaign. Napoli have picked up 25 points in 15 games under – only three teams have done better in this timeframe (Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta). Genoa’s last 12 goals against Napoli have been scored by 12 different players, as have Napoli’s last five goals against the Grifoni. Napoli are one of three opponents against which Davide Nicola is yet to win a Serie A TIM game (four defeats in four meetings). Genoa’s scored 19 goals in his 92 Serie A TIM appearances for Napoli between 2011 and 2014. Piotr Zielinski’s (Napoli) first ever goal in Serie A TIM was against Genoa in October 2015, when he was at Empoli.

ATALANTA vs SAMPDORIA Atalanta have scored just six goals against Sampdoria since 2016/17, only against Cagliari they have scored fewer goals (4) amongst the teams that have consistently been in the top-flight in this timeframe. Atalanta have won one and drawn one in their last two games against Sampdoria – last time they remained unbeaten against them for three games in a row was in 2006. The last six meetings between Atalanta and Sampdoria in Bergamo have seen three wins apiece. Overall, Atalanta have won 20 times at home against Sampdoria in Serie A TIM, losing 10 times and sharing 17 draws. Sampdoria won their last away game (vs Lecce) – last time they won back-to-back away games in Serie A TIM was in March 2019. Atalanta have scored 100 goals in 39 games this season in all competitions (2.56 per game) – only Bayern Munich (2.98) and PSG (2.95) have averaged more goals per game in Europe’s top-5 leagues. 29 of Sampdoria’s 32 points in the Serie A TIM this season have come since the arrival of – taking into account only the 23 rounds since Ranieri’s appointment, Sampdoria would sit 12th in the table, 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Claudio Ranieri has faced Atalanta 14 times as a manager without losing (W7 D7) in the three-point era in Serie A TIM. Atalanta’s strikers Luis Muriel and Duván Zapata have history with Sampdoria; Muriel scored 21 goals in 79 games for the Blucerchiati, while Zapata scored 11 in 31. Sampdoria striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored just one goal in his 25 league appearances for Atalanta in 2011-12.

BOLOGNA vs SASSUOLO Bologna lead by five wins to three against Sassuolo in Serie A TIM (D3).

Sassuolo won their last Serie A TIM meeting with Bologna but have never won twice in a row against them in the top-flight. Sassuolo have managed to win only once away to Bologna in Serie A TIM, the hosts winning twice and two draws being shared. The Emilia Romagna derby has taken place on a Wednesday four times in Serie A TIM, with two home wins, one away win and a draw being shared in that run. Eight of the last nine goals scored in games between Bologna and Sassuolo came in the second half, with the only exception being Caputo’s goal in the reverse fixture this season. Bologna have failed to score in two of their last four Serie A TIM games at the Dall’Ara, after finding the net in each of their previous 18 home games. Sassuolo have won two of their last four away games in Serie A TIM (D1 L1), recording as many wins as in their previous 13 away fixtures (D4 L7). Bologna Nicola Sansone scored 17 goals in 84 league appearances for Sassuolo between 2014 and 2016. Francesco Caputo is one goal away from equalling the highest scoring tally recorded by a Sassuolo player in a Serie A TIM season (Domenico Berardi, 16 in 2013/14). He would also equal his personal record of 16 goals in a single Serie A TIM season (level with 2018/19 when he was at Empoli). Bologna are the only Serie A side against which Jeremie Boga (Sassuolo) has already scored more than one league goal.

ROMA vs PARMA Parma have lost 31 games and conceded 89 goals against Roma in Serie A TIM – more than they have registered against any other opponent. Roma lost the reverse fixture 2-0 – previously they had gone unbeaten in seven league games against the Ducali (W6 D1). Parma’s last away win against Roma in Serie A TIM came back in 1997 – since then, the Giallorossi have won 14 times with four draws at the Olimpico against Parma. Since 2000, Roma have kept 14 clean sheets in Serie A TIM against Parma, only against Lazio have they registered more shutouts in this period (15). Roma were fourth and on 35 points at the end of the first half of the season, but in the second half of the campaign they have won only 13 points (nine teams have done better). Parma have won six more points in 2019-20 than they mustered at this stage last season (39 vs 33), and have also scored eight more goals (41 vs 33). Parma are the only side against which Roma’s striker Edin Dzeko is yet to score in Serie A TIM (three games) – should he score against Parma, Dzeko would become the only player in the three-points for a win era to have scored against every opponent faced in Serie A. Diego Perotti’s first goal in Serie A TIM came against Parma in October 2014, when he was at Genoa. Parma’s scored 17 goals in his 71 Serie A TIM appearances with Roma between 2013 and 2016. Roma are Juraj Kucka’s favourite opponent in Serie A TIM; scoring three goals in nine previous Serie A appearances against the Giallorossi.

TORINO vs BRESCIA Torino lead by 21 wins to eight in Serie A TIM contests against Brescia (D6). Torino and Brescia haven’t shared a draw in the league since 1992 – since then, the Granata lead by five wins to three. Torino have lost their last two home games against Brescia, conceding five goals in total – previously, they had remained unbeaten for 15 games against Brescia at home (W12 D3). Torino have won only one of their last six games against newly promoted teams in Serie A TIM (D2 L3). Torino have lost nine of their last 11 league games (W1 D1) – no Serie A TIM side has performed worse than the Granata since January. Brescia’s head coach Diego López has already lost four games against Torino in Serie A TIM –more than against any other opponent in his managerial career. Torino’s striker has scored 10 goals and made four assists in his last 13 games against newly promoted teams at the Olimpico Grande Torino. Belotti has now scored in four consecutive Serie A TIM games – the only Torino players who have done better in the three-points for a win era are in 1995 (six), Marco Ferrante in 2000 (five) and Ciro Immobile in 2014 (six). Brescia are the only Italian side against which Alex Berenguer has already scored more than one goal in the league. Bruno Martella’s first and only goal in Serie A TIM came against Torino back in October 2017 when he was at Crotone.

SPAL vs UDINESE These two sides have met 25 times so far in Serie A TIM – Udinese lead by nine wins to eight (D8).

SPAL have won only one of their last six Serie A TIM games against Udinese (D2 L3).

SPAL have won six of their 12 home meetings against Udinese, losing three and sharing three draws. SPAL are unbeaten in their last five home games against Udinese in Serie A TIM (W3 D2) – only against Genoa (6) are they currently enjoying a longer unbeaten home run in the league. SPAL drew their last home game, 2-2 vs AC Milan – they last time they shared two consecutive draws at home was in February 2019. Crotone (in 2016/17) were the only side that managed to avoid relegation amongst those with fewer than 20 points after the first 30 rounds of a Serie A TIM season. Udinese have shared five draws in their last eight games (W1 L2) – more than any other side in this period. Kevin Lasagna has scored four goals in his last three Serie A TIM appearances – the last time he scored in four games in a row was in April 2018. Marco D'Alessandro’s first Serie A TIM goal was against Udinese in January 2016 when he was at Atalanta. In the second game between these two sides last season, Stefano Okaka scored a brace against SPAL, with two headers following corner situations.

HELLAS VERONA vs INTER Verona and Inter have met 57 times so far in Serie A TIM: Hellas have won only four times, with 33 wins for the Nerazzurri and 20 draws. Verona’s last win in Serie A TIM against Inter was in 1992 – since then they have lost 14 times and shared three draws against the Nerazzurri. Verona have averaged 0.56 points per game so far against Inter in Serie A TIM – their lowest such average against any opponent they’ve met at least three times. Verona have conceded at least two goals in each of their last seven games against Inter at the Bentegodi, failing to score in three of those games. Verona have taken 27 points in 15 home Serie A TIM games so far this season – their best home record at this stage of the season since 2001/02. Only Brescia (31) and Torino (19) have dropped more points from leading situations than Inter (18) in Serie A TIM this season. Inter have lost three of their last seven league games (W3 D1), as many losses as in their previous 35 Serie A TIM games. scored 16 goals in his 50 league appearances for Inter between 2011 and 2012. Valerio Verre’s first Serie A TIM goal came in the reverse fixture against Inter back in November.

Lautaro Martínez hasn’t scored in his last four league matches, only between April and August 2019 (seven matches) has he endured a longer such run in Serie A TIM.