Matchday 24 TIM 2020-21 27 February - 17 Mars 2021 27/02/2021 15:00 - ALBERTO PICCO SPEZIA Vs PARMA Parma have won none of their three games against newly promoted teams in Serie A TIM this term, drawing against Spezia in the reverse fixture, drawing against Benevento and losing against Crotone. Parma have won their last three away games in Serie A TIM played in Liguria, as many as in their previous 18 such games (D6 L9) - before this streak Parma had never won back-to-back away games against sides from this region. Spezia have won two of their last three home games in Serie A TIM (L1), having won none of their previous eight such matches in the top-flight (D3 L5). Spezia have scored 30 goals after 23 league games: amongst sides making their debut in Serie A TIM in the three points per win era, only Chievo in 2001-02 have scored more goals at this stage (41 goals). Parma have won none of their last 14 league games (D5 L9): the last side from Emilia Romagna with a longer such run in a single Serie A TIM season was Cesena in 2015 (18). Parma won their last Serie A TIM away game back in November, in Liguria, against Genoa: two draws and four defeats on the road since then. No team has conceded fewer headed goals than Spezia in Serie A TIM this term (1), while Parma are the side to concede the most such goals so far (12). Spezia defender Julian Chabot scored his only two goals in Serie A TIM against Parma, both away from home, in July and October last year. Andreas Cornelius found the net last time out in Serie A TIM, after a drought of 18 consecutive league games; he has scored at least one goal in consecutive appearances only twice in the top-flight, last doing so in January 2020. Juraj Kucka has scored in consecutive Serie A TIM games for the first time since last July (v Fiorentina and Roma), scoring both goals from the penalty spot on each occasion; the Parma midfielder has never found the net in three-straight appearances in the competition.

27/02/2021 18:00 - RENATO DALL'ARA BOLOGNA Vs LAZIO Bologna have won none of their last 15 games against Lazio in Serie A TIM (D7 L8): their second longest ongoing such run against a single side in the top-flight (17 games against Juventus). Bologna have failed to score in five out of eight home games against Lazio in Serie A TIM since 2011-12: only against Juventus (6) have they failed to score in more such matches in this period. Bologna have conceded 37 goals after their first 23 games in Serie A TIM this season, only shipping more at this stage on three occasions: 41 in 1949-50, 41 in 1955-56 and 39 in 2013-14. Bologna have drawn three of their last five home games in Serie A TIM (W1 L1), as many as in their previous 12 (W4 L5). Lazio have found the net in 19 consecutive Serie A TIM matches for the first time since 1993, only doing better in the top-flight back in 1956 (21). Lazio lost their last away match in Serie A TIM against Inter, last losing consecutive games on the road back in September 2019 in the top-flight (2). Lazio have scored three goals from direct free kicks in Serie A TIM this term, as many as Bologna have scored from this situation since 2019 in the competition. Simone Inzaghi has won 100 managerial games in his first 182 matches in Serie A TIM: only Conte (145) and Sarri (169) have reached this milestone in fewer matches amongst coaches who made their debut in the three points per win era in the Italian top-flight. Bologna forward Rodrigo Palacio has scored eight goals and provided three assists against Lazio in Serie A TIM: only against Parma (11 goals, 1 assist) has he been involved in more goals in the top flight. Lazio playmaker Luis Alberto has scored seven league goals so far this season, one more than he did in the whole of 2019-20 in Serie A TIM (6), athough he’s yet to provide a single assist, while in 2019-20 he delivered 15 league assists – while his teammate; Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has provided seven assists so far, as many as he did in his previous two top-flight seasons combined.

27/02/2021 20:45 - MARCANTONIO BENTEGODI HELLAS VERONA Vs JUVENTUS Hellas Verona have won four points in their last two matches against Juventus in Serie A TIM (W1 D1), having lost each of their previous three encounters; they could go unbeaten in three consecutive games in Serie A TIM against the Bianconeri for the first time since the 80s (4 games: W2 D2). Hellas Verona have won two of their last three home games against Juventus in Serie A TIM (L1), as many as in their previous nine such matches against them (D4 L3). A Hellas Verona victory would set their highest tally of points (currently 34) after their first 24 games of a Serie A TIM season in the three points per win era - their current record is 36 points in 2013/14. Hellas Verona have won each of their last three Serie A TIM home games, having won only one point in their previous four such matches (D1 L3), last winning four consecutive home games in Serie A TIM between January and June 2020, a run which included a victory against Juventus. Juventus have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five league games, as many as in their previous 27 – no side has kept more than Juventus in this period in Serie A TIM (level with Inter). Juventus have lost two of their last three Serie A TIM away matches (W1), as many as they had in their previous 11 such games (W4 D5). Hellas Verona are the only side to have scored 100% of their goals from inside the box in Serie A TIM this season, whilst Juventus have conceded only 5% (1/19) from outside – only Napoli and Sampdoria a lower percentage. Juventus have scored the most Serie A TIM goals in the last 15 minutes of play this season (14) – only Crotone and Parma (both one) have scored fewer than Hellas Verona (three) in this time period. Antonin Barak delivered an assist in his last game against Genoa and scored a goal in the previous one against Parma: only once before has he been involved in a goal in three consecutive Serie A TIM matches (four in 2017 for Udinese). Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than one goal in seven Serie A TIM games this season, more than any other player in the Top-5 European Leagues – the Juventus’ striker has scored three goals in his last three league appearances, having failed to find the net in each of his previous three.

28/02/2021 12:30 - LUIGI FERRARIS SAMPDORIA Vs ATALANTA Since the 2017/18 campaign, Sampdoria have won four Serie A TIM matches against Atalanta (D1 L2), the joint-most victories against Atalanta during this period. Sampdoria have won one point in their last two Serie A TIM home matches against Atalanta: they have never failed to win three such matches in a row against them in the Serie A TIM. After three wins in four matches (L1), Sampdoria have won only one of their last four Serie A TIM games (D1 L2). Sampdoria have won three of their last four Serie A TIM home games (L1), one win more than they had in their previous nine such matches (D1 L6). The three best goal tallies Atalanta have posted after 23 MD’s of a Serie A TIM season have all come in the last three campaigns: 53 this season, 61 last term and 50 in 2018/19 – they have scored 228 goals in total in the last three campaigns, at least 33 more than any other side in the division. Atalanta have had 15 different scorers in Serie A TIM this season, more than any other side; at this stage of the competition last term, they had 13 (behind Inter and Napoli, 14). No side has scored more Serie A TIM goals after a carry than Atalanta in Serie A TIM this season: 12, alongside Inter – seven by Luis Muriel. Sampdoria have also only conceded one such goal, only Inter have conceded fewer (zero). Atalanta’s has lost six of his nine Serie A TIM meetings as a manager against (W2 D1): only against has he lost more games in the competition (seven in 17 matches). Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella has scored 12 Serie A TIM goals against Atalanta, only against Fiorentina has he netted more (13) – he has scored two in his last three appearances against them. Atalanta striker Luis Muriel has had the best min/goals ratio in Serie A TIM this season, among the players with at least 90 minutes played (one goal every 53 minutes on average).

28/02/2021 15:00 - EZIO SCIDA CROTONE Vs CAGLIARI Crotone are the side against which Cagliari have played the most Serie A TIM games without a single defeat (W4 D1). In five Serie A TIM meetings between Cagliari and Crotone, only once has one of the two sides kept a clean sheet: the Sardinians in September 2017 (1-0). Crotone have conceded in each of their last 14 Serie A TIM home matches and they could equal the current negative run in the competition (15 by SPAL between October 2019 and August 2020 prior to their relegation). Crotone have lost their last five league matches and they could lose six in a row for the first time in their Serie A TIM history. Cagliari have picked up 15 points so far: considering three points for a win only in the 1975/76 campaign (14) have they collected fewer points after 23 games played in the competition. Cagliari are winless in their last 16 Serie A TIM games (D5 L11), their worst run in a single campaign in the history of the competition. Crotone are the first Serie A TIM side to concede at least 55 goals after 23 matches in a Serie A TIM season since Pro Patria in the 1955/56 campaign (67). Cagliari have let their opponents have 673 touches in their own box in Serie A TIM this season, more than any other side (29 per game on average). Samuel Di Carmine scored his first Serie A TIM home brace in June 2020 for Hellas Verona against Cagliari; the Sardinians are one of three sides against which the Crotone striker has scored more than once in the top-flight (level with Atalanta and SPAL). Crotone are one of the two sides against which Cagliari’s Giovanni Simeone has scored for three different teams (Cagliari, Genoa and Fiorentina), alongside Torino.

28/02/2021 15:00 - INTER Vs GENOA Inter have won each of their last five Serie A TIM games against Genoa without conceding a single goal: the Nerazzurri have never won six games in a row without conceding against a single opponent in the competition (five also against Atalanta in 1953). Inter have won each of their last seven Serie A TIM home games against Genoa: the Nerazzurri have only managed a longer such run against the Liguri between May 1956 and February 1965. Inter have won each of their last eight Serie A TIM home games: in the last 10 seasons, only Juventus (four times) and AS Roma (in 2016/17) have enjoyed a run of nine consecutive home wins in a single Serie A TIM campaign. Since joined Genoa, they have lost only one Serie A TIM game (W5 D4), the joint fewest defeats during this period alongside Inter. Inter have scored 57 goals in their 23 league games this season: Only in 1949/50 (65) and 1950/51 (60) have they scored more at this stage of a Serie A TIM campaign. Only Montpellier (12) have scored more headed goals than Inter (11) across the top-5 European leagues this season, while only Villarreal (one) have scored fewer headed goals than Genoa (two). Genoa have conceded the joint-fewest Serie A TIM goals since the turn of the year (six in nine games, alongside Juventus), however the Liguri have the lowest possession figure during this period (41.1%). Inter have a duo with 30 goals combined in the opening 23 games of a Serie A TIM season ( 17, Lautaro Martinez, 13) for their first time since 1958/59: 41 (27 di Antonio Angelillo, 14 di Edwin Firmani). Lautaro Martínez has been involved in 17 league goals this season (13 goals, four assists), as many as he managed last term – Genoa are one of the eight sides against whom the Inter striker has not yet found the back of the net in Serie A TIM. Mattia Destro (nine league goals this season) could reach double figures for goals in a single Serie A TIM season for his first time since 2016/17, with Bologna; the Genoa striker has netted only one goal in his 12 appearances against Inter in Serie A TIM; only against Juventus (0 goals in 14 apps) has he scored fewer among sides he’s faced more than 10 times in the competition. 28/02/2021 15:00 - DACIA ARENA - STADIO FRIULI UDINESE Vs FIORENTINA Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last nine Serie A TIM games against Udinese (W6 D3), only twice have the Viola enjoyed a longer run without defeat against the Friulani in the competition: 10 between 1999 and 2006 and 12 between 1959 and 1982. Fiorentina kept a clean sheet in their last away game against Udinese in Serie A TIM: the Viola have kept a clean sheet in consecutive games at Friulani’s home only twice before in the Italian top-flight (in 1961 and in 1952). Udinese are unbeaten in their last three home games in Serie A TIM (W1 D2) and could avoid defeat in four in a row for the first time since January 2020. Udinese have not conceded a goal in their last two home games in Serie A TIM and could keep a clean sheet in three in a row for their first time since November 2015. Fiorentina won their last Serie A TIM game, against Spezia and could enjoy consecutive wins for the first time this season. Udinese have conceded the most penalty goals in Serie A TIM in 2021 (four), one more than in the whole of 2020 (three). Fiorentina and Udinese have scored the joint-fewest goals from corner situations in Serie A TIM this season (one each). Stefano Okaka has scored three goals in 10 Serie A TIM games played against Fiorentina, his joint-most in the Italian top-flight; in addition, the Udinese striker scored his last brace in the competition against the Viola, in October 2020. Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic has scored five Serie A TIM goals in 2021, just two fewer than he managed in 2020 (seven). With five goals and two assists in 21 games this season, Fiorentina midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli has already been involved in more Serie A TIM goals than he managed last term (three goals and two assists in 33 games). Indeed, he was involved in three goals in the reverse fixture this season against Udinese (two goals and one assist), his most in a single Serie A TIM game.

28/02/2021 18:00 - DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA NAPOLI Vs BENEVENTO Napoli are one of the three sides that Benevento have met at least three times in Serie A TIM while always losing (3 out of 3), along with Inter and Atalanta. Benevento’s biggest defeat in Serie A TIM was in September 2017 against Napoli (6-0 at Napoli). Napoli have won each of their last three home league games and could enjoy four consecutive home wins in a single season in Serie A TIM for the first time since February 2019 (five in that case). Napoli have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three Serie A TIM games at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and could play four home games in a row without conceding for the first time since May 2011 (eight in that case). Benevento have drawn each of their last three league games: the last newly promoted side to draw four consecutive Serie A TIM games was Lecce, in November 2019. Only Bayern Monaco (13) have scored more goals with shots from outside the box than Napoli (11) in the top-5 European leagues this season. Benevento have scored the fewest goals in the opening 30 minutes of play in Serie A TIM this season (three): over the same period, only Juventus (four) and Inter (six) have conceded fewer goals than Napoli (seven). Dries Mertens could make his 250th Serie A TIM appearance in this match (all with Napoli): Benevento are one of two teams, along Pescara, against which the Belgian has a goal average higher than one goal per game in the Italian top-flight (four goals in three games against Benevento). Only Stuttgart’s Sasa Kalajdzic (five) have scored more goals as a substitute than Matteo Politano (four) in the top-5 European leagues this season. In the reverse fixture this season against Benevento, the Napoli player delivered two assists coming from the bench. Benevento striker Gianluca Lapadula played his first Serie A TIM game against Napoli, in August 2016 with AC Milan; the last time he scored 2+ goals in a single league game was against the Partenopei, in February 2020 with Lecce.

28/02/2021 20:45 - OLIMPICO ROMA Vs MILAN After the 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture, AC Milan and AS Roma could draw both Serie A TIM games in a season for the first time since the 1999/2000 campaign. AS Roma won their last Serie A TIM home meeting against AC Milan: the last manager to win two successive league matches at home against them was Fabio Capello in 2003. AS Roma have collected the most points at home in Serie A TIM this season (30), whilst AC Milan have won the most points away from home (28) so far. As Roma are unbeaten in their last 16 home league matches (W12 D4), their longest run since February 2017 (24). AC Milan have lost four Serie A TIM games in 2021, two more than they had lost in the whole of 2020 – only in 1936 have they lost five top-flight games in the first two months of the year. AC Milan could lose three Serie A TIM matches in a row without scoring for the first time since April 1967. No side has scored more penalty goals than AC Milan (10) and AS Roma (six) in Serie A TIM this season: AC Milan have scored four of their 10 penalty goals when the game was at a 0-0 scoreline, at least twice more than any other side in the competition. AS Roma’s Jordan Veretout has scored nine Serie A TIM goals this season: he could become the first French midfielder to score 10+ goals in a single campaign in the Top-5 European Leagues since 2018/19 (Pogba, Thauvin and Oudin). AS Roma’s striker Edin Dzeko has failed to score in his last six Serie A TIM appearances, his longest run without a goal since January 2019 (nine in a row, his worst run in the competition). AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic has failed to score in two successive Serie A TIM appearances: since his return to the club in January 2020, only once has he gone goalless in three league games in a row (against Napoli, Parma and Bologna in July 2020).

*Torino vs Sassuolo postponed to 17th march 2021