Matchday 3 Serie A TIM 2020-21 2 - 4 October 2020* * Genoa vs Torino has been postponed 02/10/2020 20:45 - ARTEMIO FRANCHI FIORENTINA Vs SAMPDORIA Fiorentina won both Serie A TIM matches last season against Sampdoria, after going winless in their previous seven league games (D5 L2). In each of the last nine Serie A TIM matches between Fiorentina and Sampdoria, both teams have found the net (3.6 goals per game on average). Sampdoria have won only one of their last 14 Serie A TIM away games against Fiorentina (D6 L7), a 2-1victory in August 2017, thanks to Caprari and Quagliarella goals. Fiorentina have won without conceding in each of their last three home league games; the last time the Viola went on a longer such run in Serie A TIM was in October 2015 (six). After losing their opening three Serie A TIM games in 2019/20, Sampdoria have lost both their opening two games this season: only Atalanta (in 1952/53 and 1953/54) and Pro Patria (1948/49 and 1949/50) have lost their first three matches in consecutive Serie A seasons. Fiorentina and Sampdoria are two of the three sides (alongside with Torino) to have lost a game after being in a leading situation in Serie A TIM this season. Excluding the newly-promoted teams, only Milan (22) have conceded fewer goals than Fiorentina (24) in Serie A TIM since Giuseppe Iachini has become the new Viola manager. However, in the last match against Inter, the Tuscan side conceded four goals for the first time since the game before the arrival of the current coach (1-4 against Roma, under Montella). Sampdoria have conceded three of their six goals in the first two matchdays this season from a corner situation; however, in 2019/20 in Serie A TIM, the Blucerchiati hadn’t conceded their third goal from a corner until MD9. Since the Serie A TIM restart last June, Giacomo Bonaventura is the Italian player who has delivered the most assists (six) in the Italian top-flight; in general, only Gómez, Calhanoglu and Sánchez (eight each) have delivered more over this period. Fabio Quagliarella has scored seven Serie A TIM goals against Fiorentina with Sampdoria, including his only hat-trick with the Liguri in January 2018: against no team he has found the net more times with Sampdoria in the top-flight (seven also against Cagliari). 03/10/2020 15:00 - MAPEI STADIUM SASSUOLO Vs CROTONE Crotone won their last Serie A TIM meeting with Sassuolo, after being winless in their previous three (D1, L2). Among current Serie A TIM sides, Crotone are the only team Sassuolo have a 100% home win record in the Italian top-flight (2/2). Sassuolo have won only one of their last five Serie A TIM home games (D2, L2), a 5-0 win against Genoa in July 2020 - they had won four of their previous six (D1, L1). Crotone have lost 28 of their 39 away games in the Italian top-flight (72%) – among teams with 20+ away games since their debut Serie A TIM season in 2016/17, this is the worst percentage in the competition. Sassuolo have kept a clean sheet only once in their last 15 league games, in a 5-0 win against Genoa last July - the Neroverdi have conceded 1.7 goals on average per game over this period. Crotone have conceded at least two goals in each of their two league games this term, while this run also extends to their last five matches in the competition - they have never previously had a longer such run in the Italian top-flight. Gian Marco Ferrari has played 110 games between Serie A TIM and B with Crotone (scoring four goals) - against Spezia last time out, the Sassuolo defender delivered two assists in a single top-flight game for the first time ever. The Serie A TIM season in which Luca Marrone managed to play his most games was the 2013/14 campaign, while playing for Sassuolo - he is the Crotone player with the most successful passes in Serie A TIM this term (122). Simy scored his only previous Serie A TIM brace in April 2018, against Sassuolo – the Neroverdi are the only side against which the Crotone striker has scored more than one goal in the Italian top-flight. 03/10/2020 20:45 - DACIA ARENA - STADIO FRIULI UDINESE Vs ROMA After a streak of 10 consecutive defeats, Udinese have won two of their last four Serie A TIM games against Roma (L2). In seven of the last eight league games between Udinese and Roma, at least one of the two sides has failed to score – the only exception being their meeting played in September 2017, a 3-1 Giallorossi win. Roma have won six of their last seven away games against Udinese in Serie A TIM (L1), including the most recent one (4-0 in October 2019), despite Federico Fazio being sent off after 31 minutes for the Giallorossi. Udinese have lost both of their opening two games in a Serie A TIM season for their first time since the 2017/18 campaign, under Luigi Delneri - the last time the Friulani lost each of their opening three matches in a top-flight season was in 2010/11 (although they did recover to finish 4th). Considering the 0-3 result awarded against Hellas Verona, Roma interrupted a streak of four consecutive away wins in Serie A TIM, in which they scored at least three goals per game. In eight of the previous nine Serie A TIM seasons, the Giallorossi won at least one of their two opening league away games (with the exception of 2016/17, D1 L1). Roma are still winless in Serie A TIM this season, while only eight times in their history have they failed to win each of their opening three games of a Serie A TIM season, most recently in 2011/12 (D2 L1). Stefano Okaka played his first 34 Serie A TIM games with Roma, between 2005 and 2010. The Udinese striker has faced the Giallorossi in eight league games, without scoring or delivering an assist in any of them. Among players who have scored 100% of their penalties taken in the last two Serie A TIM seasons, Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout has attempted the joint-most spot kicks (six, level with Romelu Lukaku). Despite Roma striker Edin Dzeko having been involved in six Serie A TIM goals against Udinese (four goals, two assists), he has neither scored or assisted in his two most recent league appearances against the Friulani. 04/10/2020 12:30 - GEWISS STADIUM ATALANTA Vs CAGLIARI Atalanta have lost four of their last six matches against Cagliari in Serie A TIM (W2): the Sardinians have defeated the Bergamaschi the most times in the top-flight since 2017/18. Atalanta kept a clean sheet in their last league game against Cagliari and could collect consecutive shutouts against the Rossoblù for the first time since the 2008/09 season under Luigi Delneri. Cagliari have won their last three Serie A TIM away matches against Atalanta: as many as in their previous 23 (D5 L15). Indeed, the Sardinians have never collected four away wins in a row against a single opponent in the top-flight. This will be Atalanta's home debut in Serie A TIM 2020/21: the Bergamaschi have lost three of their last four home league openers (W1): as many losses as in their previous 22 first home games of the season (W11, D8). Eusebio Di Francesco could become the first Cagliari manager to fail to win their first three league games with the club since Massimo Rastelli in 2016/17. Atalanta have scored six of their eight goals in Serie A TIM this season during the first half, more than any other side. They have scored four goals in each of their opening two games in a Serie A TIM season for their first time in their history. Atalanta striker Alejandro Gómez has scored three in his 15 Serie A TIM goals appearances against Cagliari: only two players have found the net more times in matches between Atalanta and Cagliari in the competition than the Argentinian: Luigi Riva (five) and Roberto Boninsegna (four), both with Cagliari. Luis Muriel has scored nine goals in his 20 Serie A TIM appearances in 2020. Among the players with more than three appearances in the period in the top-flight, the Atalanta striker is the one with the best minutes/goals average (one every 62 minutes). Giovanni Simeone has scored five goals in his last eight away games in Serie A TIM; however, the Bergamaschi are the team against which he has played the most times in Serie A TIM without scoring (eight). 04/10/2020 15:00 - CIRO VIGORITO BENEVENTO Vs BOLOGNA Benevento played their first ever home match in Serie A TIM against Bologna in August 2017, with the match ending in a 1-0 victory for the Rossoblu thanks to a Godfred Donsah goal. Benevento have lost both of their Serie A TIM games against Bologna (0-1 at home and 3-0 away): Bologna are one of the five teams against which Benevento have not scored in their only previous season in the top flight - alongside Fiorentina, Napoli, Atalanta and Torino. Benevento have conceded seven goals in their first two league games, while in their first Serie A TIM season they conceded three - they have scored five league goals this season, an achievement they reached after 12 games in the 2017/18 season.