Matchday 19 TIM 2020-21 22 - 24 January 2021 22/01/2021 20:45 - CIRO VIGORITO BENEVENTO Vs TORINO Torino have won both of their previous Serie A TIM games against Benevento without conceding a goal. The Granata are the only team against which the Giallorossi have never managed to score among sides they have faced at least twice in the top-flight. This will be only the second time that Benevento have played a Serie A TIM game on a Friday; the previous such match came against Sassuolo this season (1-0 defeat). Torino have drawn both of the last two times they have played a Serie A TIM game on Friday (1-1 against Juventus in May 2019 and 3-3 against Sassuolo in October 2020). Benevento have lost three of their last four league games (W1), this after only losing one of their previous seven Serie A TIM matches beforehand (W3 D3). Only Crotone (12) have conceded more goals than Benevento (11) in Serie A TIM in 2021: the Giallorossi have conceded at least four goals in both of their last two league matches, while they have never done so three times in a row in the division. Torino have only won two of their first 18 league games this season (D7 L9); only once in their history have they won as few games in the first half of a season in a Serie A TIM campaign containing 20 teams (two in 2007/08, when they had 17 points). Torino have failed to score in their last two league games, while they have not failed to find the net in three in a row since November 2014. Benevento’s Iago Falque and Kamil Glik have both previously played for Torino. Falque played 102 games while scoring 30 goals for the Granata, while Glik scored 10 goals in 131 Serie A TIM appearances for Torino. Iago Falque is the only player to have scored in both previous Serie A TIM games between Benevento and Torino: he scored Torino’s winning goal in injury time in the first such meeting in September 2017 and the opening goal in Torino’s 3-0 win in January 2018.

23/01/2021 15:00 - OLIMPICO ROMA Vs SPEZIA This will be the third clash between AS Roma and Spezia in all competitions, after the 2015/16 Coppa Italia (0-0, Spezia progressed after a penalty shootout) and their Coppa Italia meeting on Tuesday. AS Roma have won each of their last four Serie A TIM matches against sides from Liguria (Genoa and Sampdoria), while their last defeat in such a game was back in January 2018 (0-1 at home v Sampdoria). Spezia are unbeaten in their last three Serie A TIM games (W2 D1) and could avoid defeat in four successive league matches for the first time since February 2020 (13 in a row in ). AS Roma are on the longest ongoing run of Serie A TIM wins against promoted sides (25) and the longest run of games scored in a row in such meetings (52). The last promoted side to end up being relegated despite picking up 18 points in their opening 18 Serie A TIM matches of a season was in 2009/10. The 13 such sides to have as many or more since have all avoided relegation. Since Serie A TIM went back to being a 20-team league in 2004/05, AS Roma have scored in their final game of the first half of the season in all 16 campaigns (W8 D5 L3). AS Roma have 34 points from their 18 league games this season; at the half-way stage (19 games) last term, they had 35 points. AS Roma have conceded 73% of their Serie A TIM goals this season in second halves (19/26), the highest percentage in 2020-21. Meanwhile, Spezia have conceded 22 goals in the second half of their league games; only Torino (24) have shipped more. With M’Bala Nzola in the side, Spezia have scored 19 goals in 13 Serie A TIM games this season (1.5 per game on average), whilst without him they have only scored four in five league games (0.8 per game). AS Roma’s Borja Mayoral has scored three goals in his last two Serie A TIM starts, two of which came against a promoted side (Crotone).

23/01/2021 18:00 - MILAN Vs ATALANTA Milan have only won once in their last 10 Serie A TIM meetings against Atalanta (D6 L3): among teams they have faced more than three times in the top-flight since 2015/16, the Rossoneri have won fewer games against no other side (also one against Napoli). Milan are winless in their last six home Serie A TIM games against Atalanta (D4 L2) since a 3-0 win in January 2014. In the era of three points for a win, AC Milan and Atalanta have only faced off once in the 19th matchday (half-way point of a 20-team league). This was Atalanta's 1-0 win in Milan in January 2015. Milan (W13) are only one win away from equalling their highest win total in the first half of a Serie A TIM season containing 20-team (14 wins in 1950/51, in which they won the Scudetto). Atalanta’s best points tally in the first half of a 20-team Serie A TIM season was 35, achieved in 2016-17 and 2019-20. Milan have scored the most goals (15) in the first 30 minutes of play in Serie A TIM this season (including seven of their last 12), while Atalanta (11) are joint-third in this ranking, behind Roma in second (12). Milan’s Stefano Pioli has won six of his 14 previous Serie A TIM meetings with Atalanta’s (D4 L4). A win here would mean Pioli has beaten Gasperini more than any other opposing manager in Serie A TIM (six is currently level with Mihajlovic and Donadoni). Atalanta’s Josip Ilicic has been involved in six goals in his last five games against Milan in Serie A TIM (three goals and three assists). Indeed, he has scored five goals in total against the Rossoneri in the top-flight, including two at San Siro (December 2017 and October 2014). Zlatan Ibrahimovic (498) is only two goals away from reaching 500 goals in all competitions in club football. He has only scored more for PSG (156) than Milan (80). Among goalkeepers with at least 10 appearances in Serie A TIM this season, Atalanta’s Pierluigi Gollini (74.1%) and Milan’s (73.8%) are two of the four goalkeepers with a save rate of above 70% (also Silvestri and Reina).

23/01/2021 18:00 - DACIA ARENA - STADIO FRIULI UDINESE Vs INTER Inter have won nine of their last 11 Serie A TIM games against Udinese (D1 L1) and have not conceded a goal in their last five against the Bianconeri. Udinese have not scored in their last five league games against Inter: if they fail to score here, they would equal their longest goalless streak against any opponent in the top-flight. Udinese have gained only one point in their last seven home games against Inter in Serie A TIM (L6): among teams they have faced at least twice at home in the league since 2013/14, they have picked up fewer points against the Nerazzurri than any other opponent. Udinese have closed the first half of the season with a win in their last three Serie A TIM seasons; their last defeat on Matchday 19 was against Inter in January 2017. Inter have scored 45 goals in their first 18 league games this season; only Bayern Munich have scored more (48) in the big-five European leagues in 2020-21. In a 20-team season, only in 1951/52 have the Nerazzurri scored more in the first half of a season (48). Among coaches who have led Inter for at least 30 Serie A TIM games in the era of three points per win, has the joint-best points-per-game average (2.18 per match, level with Mourinho). Kevin Lasagna scored his first Serie A TIM goal against Inter, doing so at San Siro with Carpi in January 2016, his only game against the Nerazzurri during this month of the year. Nicolò Barella has scored five goals in Serie A this season: the last Italian central to score more in single Serie A TIM season for Inter was Nicola Berti in 1988/89 (seven goals, when the Nerazzurri won the Scudetto). Arturo Vidal, who scored in his last league game, has not found the net in two consecutive Serie A TIM appearances since January 2014 (against Atalanta and Roma).

23/01/2021 20:45 - ARTEMIO FRANCHI FIORENTINA Vs CROTONE Fiorentina and Crotone have faced each other four times in Serie A TIM: two wins for the Viola, one win for the Rossoblu (D1) – Fiorentina have scored in all four encounters. Fiorentina are unbeaten in their two Serie A TIM home meetings against Crotone: 1-1 in October 2016 (Astori and Falcinelli’s goals) and 2-0 in March 2018 (Simeone and Chiesa). A Fiorentina victory would equal the points tally (21) and number of wins (five) the Viola had at the halfway stage of last season’s league campaign. Crotone’s last Serie A TIM away win was back in April 2018 (2-1 v Udinese): they have earned the fewest points on the road in Serie A TIM this season (two). In the last 10 Serie A TIM campaigns, only one team have avoided relegation with 12 or fewer points at the halfway stage of the season: Crotone in 2016/17 (when they had nine after 19 games). Only Cagliari and Crotone (seven each) have conceded more goals from outside the box than Fiorentina (six) in Serie A TIM this season - Fiorentina are also one of the three sides (alongside Spezia and Verona) yet to score from outside the box. Crotone (eight) are one of the two sides (level with Parma) to have scored the fewest Serie A TIM goals in the second half of games this season, behind Fiorentina (10). José Callejón is the only current Fiorentina player to have scored against Crotone in Serie A TIM (two goals in four meetings). Simy has scored 50 goals in Serie A TIM and Serie B combined for Crotone, scoring 25% of his club league goals (198 total) since 2016/17. Crotone have averaged 1.7 goals and 1.2 points per game when Emmanuel Rivière has started compared to 0.9 and 0.4 respectively when’s he hasn’t in Serie A TIM this season. 24/01/2021 12:30 - ALLIANZ STADIUM JUVENTUS Vs BOLOGNA Bologna have lost more Serie A TIM games against Juventus than any other oppnent: 75 Bianconeri wins, 48 draws and 23 Rossoblù wins. During the streak of nine consecutive league title-winning seasons, Juventus were unbeaten against Bologna in Serie A TIM (16 meetings: 13W D3) - in this period, Bologna were the side that scored the fewest goals against the Bianconeri (seven goals), among the teams they faced more than 10 times. Juventus have picked up 33 TIM Serie A points this campaign: their joint-lowest at this stage in their last 10 seasons (also 33 in 2015/16 season). Under , Juventus have kept just three clean sheets in Serie A TIM: among Bianconeri coaches with at least 17 games, only managed fewer after as many matches (two). Bologna ended a run of eight consecutive league games without a win (D5 L3) last time out against Verona (1-0) – they last won two in a row in Serie A TIM before this run in November 2020. Bologna have conceded 31 Serie A TIM goals so far this season, the same number they’d conceded at this stage in 2019-20, only three previous occasions have the Rossoblù shipped more goals in the first half of a Serie A TIM season - in 1949/50 (36 goals conceded), in 1955/56 and in 2013/14 (33 each). Bologna have conceded the fewest goals in the last 15 minutes of play in Serie A TIM this season (three), whilst Juventus have scored the most goals during this period (13). Juventus’s Federico Chiesa has scored more Serie A TIM goals against Bologna than any other opponent in the compstition: five, including his only hat-trick. Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 15 league goals so far this season, more than he managed at this stage in his previous two Serie A TIM campaigns (14 in 2018/19 and in 2019/20). Each of Bologna’s five wins in Serie A TIM this term have come with Riccardo Orsolini on the pitch, while in the four games without him the Rossoblù have collected just two draws: the points average drops from 1.3 to 0.5 when he hasn’t played In 2020-21.

24/01/2021 15:00 - LUIGI FERRARIS GENOA Vs CAGLIARI Cagliari lost their previous league meeting with Genoa (a 1-0 win for the Ligurians in February 2020) - they never played two consecutive Serie A TIM games against the Grifone without scoring. Genoa have earned four wins and one draw in their last five home meetings against Cagliari in Serie A TIM; since 2015 onwards, against no team have the Grifone won more Serie A TIM home games. Genoa have earned a win and a draw in their last two league games, both without conceding goals: the last time the Ligurians were unbeaten in three consecutive Serie A TIM games was in February 2020 and the last time they managed three clean sheets in a row was in January 2018, under . Genoa are unbeaten in their last three home league games (W1 D2) the last time they managed a longer such streak was in March 2019. Cagliari have lost each of their last five Serie A TIM games, the last time they suffered a longer such run was in January 2013 - the Sardinians are the only side to have not picked up a single Serie A TIM point in 2021. Cagliari have conceded 18 league goals on the road this season, their fewest since the 2016/17 campaign, when they were a newly-promoted team (23). Genoa striker Mattia Destro has scored six goals in eight Serie A TIM games against Cagliari, only against Chievo has he scored more in the competition (eight in 13 meetings). Genoa midfielder Miha Zajc has scored two goals against Cagliari, including his first goal in the Italian top-flight, in May 2017 with Empoli (where he also delivered his first Serie A TIM assist) – The Sardinians are the only side against whom he has scored and assisted more than once in the competition. Cagliari’s and Leonardo Pavoletti have both played previously with Genoa and both have already scored for the Sardinians against the Grifoni: the Argentinian striker in September 2019, while the Italian did so in October 2017 and May 2019.

24/01/2021 15:00 - MARCANTONIO BENTEGODI HELLAS VERONA Vs NAPOLI Verona have lost each of their six Serie A TIM games against Napoli since 2015/16, scoring only once during this run. After losing their last three home league games against Napoli, Verona could lose four on the bounce against The Partenopei at home in Serie A TIM for the first time. Verona lost their last league match after two wins and a draw; the last time they lost back-to-back Serie A TIM games was in December 2019. Verona have won four of their nine home games in Serie A TIM this season; only in 2013/14 (8) and 2001/02 (5) have they won more of their opening nine home games in a Serie A TIM campaign. Napoli have scored 40 goals in Serie A TIM so far this season - their record in the first half of a season was 42 goals in 2016/17 and in 2017/18. The last time Napoli drew an away Serie A TIM game was in July against Bologna: since then, six wins and four losses for The Azzurri; in three of these defeats, they have also failed to score. Verona are one of only three sides that have failed to score a goal from outside the box in Serie A TIM this season (alongside Fiorentina and Spezia), whilst Napoli have conceded only one goal from outside the box, the joint-fewest in Serie A TIM this season. Mattia Zaccagni has had a direct hand in three of Verona’s last four goals in Serie A TIM (1 goal, 2 assists): as many as in the previous 12 Gialloblù goals (3). Lorenzo Insigne has scored nine goals in Serie A TIM so far this season: in a first half of a top-flight campaign, he had never scored more than eight goals (2015/16) - he has scored two of his three Serie A TIM goals against Verona at the Bentegodi. Napoli’s Dries Mertens scored three goals and provided two assists in his first two Serie A TIM games against Verona, however he has since failed to find the net or provide an assist in six games against them.

24/01/2021 18:00 - OLIMPICO LAZIO Vs SASSUOLO Sassuolo have lost eight Serie A TIM matches against Lazio (W3 D3): only against Juventus (11), Atalanta and Milan (nine) have the Neroverdi suffered more defeats. Both Lazio and Sassuolo have found the net in six of their seven Serie A TIM meetings at Biancocelesti’s home: the only exception was a 2-0 win for Sassuolo in February 2016 - there have been 29 goals scored overall in these matches, 4.1 on average per match. Lazio have won each of their last three Serie A TIM games and could enjoy four wins on the bounce for the first time since February 2020. Lazio have won three consecutive home games in Serie A TIM for their first time since June 2020, conceding only one goal in this period: as many victories as in their previous 10 home games (D2 L5). Sassuolo have picked up 30 points in Serie A TIM so far this season: their record in the first half of a Serie A TIM campaign is 31 points, after the opening 19 games played in 2015/16. Sassuolo have lost their last two away league games, having earned five wins and two draws from their previous seven on the road – the last time the Neroverdi suffered three consecutive Serie A TIM defeats on the road was in September 2019. Sassuolo have scored 77% of their goals during the second half of games (24/31), the highest percentage in Serie A TIM this season; Lazio however have scored the joint-most goals in the first 15 minutes after half time (level with AC Milan). Lazio striker Ciro Immobile has found the net in seven of his nine league games played since the start of December; he is the player who has scored in the most different Serie A TIM matches duirng this period. Since they joined Serie A TIM, Sassuolo have earned an average of 1.4 points in the matches with on the pitch, compared to 0.9 in the games where he has not played.

24/01/2021 20:45 - ENNIO TARDINI PARMA Vs SAMPDORIA Parma and Sampdoria have never repeated the same result in two successive games in their last 10 Serie A TIM meetings: three Gialloblù wins, three draws and four Sampdoria successes, including one in their most recent clash in July. After a streak of four consecutive home Serie A TIM wins between 2010 and 2014 – conceding only one goal - Parma have earned only one point in their last three home league games against Sampdoria, conceding eight goals in the period. Parma are winless in their last nine league games (D4 L5) and could equal their longest run without a victory in Serie A TIM should they fail to win this game. Parma have won only two league games this term (D7 L9): only once previously have they won just two games in the first half of a Serie A TIM season (in 2006/07, however they managed to avoid relegation under ). Sampdoria have conceded goals in each of their last 14 Serie A TIM matches, a negative record for a single team managed by Claudio Ranieri in the Italian top-flight. Sampdoria have conceded at least one goal in each of their last 19 away games in Serie A TIM, only twice have Sampdoria suffered a longer such run: in 1949 and 1956, when they reached their negative record of 24 consecutive Serie A TIM away games without a single clean sheet. Parma (eight) and Sampdoria (seven) have conceded the most headed goals in Serie A TIM this season – in 2019-20, the Gialloblù conceded the third-most headed goals (14), whilst only SPAL and Brescia conceded more (15). Gervinho has scored two Serie A TIM goals against Sampdoria, including one in the most recent match, in July - the Parma striker scored his first goal in the Italian top-flight against Sampdoria, in September 2013 with AS Roma. With his goal against Sassuolo in last matchday, has scored three league goals this season: the Parma midfielder’s highest tally in the first half of a Serie A TIM season. Sampdoria's Keita Baldé has scored two league goals against Parma, both with Lazio: he scored his first Serie A TIM goal against the Crociati in November 2013.