Matchday 1 Serie A TIM 2020-21 19 - 21 September 2020 19/09/2020 18:00 - ARTEMIO FRANCHI FIORENTINA Vs TORINO Fiorentina have lost only one of their last seven matches against Torino in Serie A TIM (W3 D3), back in December 2019. Fiorentina have scored in each of their last 13 Serie A TIM matches against Torino - it’s their longest ongoing streak against a single opponent in the competition. Fiorentina are unbeaten in 30 home Serie A TIM matches against Torino (W16 D14); in Serie A history, only Bologna’s 32-game home unbeaten run against Genoa between 1931 and 1989 surpasses this. Fiorentina and Torino will face on the first matchday of a Serie A TIM season for the fourth time (W1 D1 L1). Fiorentina have conceded 109 goals on the first matchday of Serie A TIM seasons, the most of any side. Fiorentina have won only one of their last four games on matchday one (L3), in 2018 against Chievo (6-1). Torino have won on matchday one last season (2-1 v Sassuolo) – they haven’t won on matchday one in consecutive seasons since 1992-93 and 1993-94. Fiorentina will play the opening match of a Serie A TIM season for the first time since 2012-13, beating Udinese 2-1. Torino are doing so for the first time since 2007-08 – a 2-2 draw with Lazio. Fiorentina’s Christian Kouamé has scored on matchday one twice in Serie A TIM, and has also previously scored against Torino in the competition, in December 2018 with Genoa. After scoring in seven consecutive Serie A TIM games, Torino’s Andrea Belotti hasn’t found the net in his most recent five matches in the competition. 19/09/2020 20:45 - MARC'ANTONIO BENTEGODI HELLAS VERONA Vs ROMA Roma are unbeaten in their last 17 Serie A TIM matches against Hellas Verona (W12 D5), only against Lecce (27 as of 2011) and Ascoli (21 as of 2005) have they registered a longer streak without defeat in the Italian top-flight. Roma have netted in each of their last 22 Serie A TIM matches against Hellas Verona, only against Bologna have the Giallorossi scored in more consecutive games in the Italian top-flight (29 in a row between 2000 and 2018). Hellas Verona have won only one of their last 14 home Serie A TIM matches against Roma (D6 L7): 2-1 in October 1996 under Luigi Cagni. Roma are unbeaten in their four matchday one Serie A TIM matches against Hellas Verona, each of these coming on the road (W1 D4). Hellas Verona are unbeaten in six of their last seven matchday one games (W1 D5) – the only defeat in this run came in 2017 against Napoli. Roma are currently unbeaten in eight games on matchday one in Serie A TIM (W5 D3), their last defeat coming against Cagliari. Roma could win five Serie A TIM matches in a row for the first time since November 2017 – they ended last season with four wins on the bounce. Excluding penalties, Hellas Verona’s Marco Davide Faraoni was the highest scoring Italian defender in Serie A TIM last season (five), including one against Roma at the Bentegodi Stadium. New Roma signing Pedro has been involved in eight goals in his last eight matchday one fixtures among LaLiga and the Premier League (five goals and three assists). Roma’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan (nine goals currently in Serie A TIM) could become only the sixth player to score at least 10 goals in three of the top five European leagues since 2013-14 (when he joined Borussia Dortmund). 20/09/2020 12:30 - ENNIO TARDINI PARMA Vs NAPOLI Parma have won both of their league matches against Napoli last season - they could win three Serie A TIM games in a row against the Partenopei for the first time. Parma have scored in 17 of their 18 home Serie A TIM matches against Napoli – only failing to score in February 2019 (0-4). Parma have won their only previous matchday one Serie A TIM match against Napoli: 3-0 in 1996/97. Parma have won only one of their last 18 matchday one Serie A TIM matches (D13 L4): 2-0 against Brescia in 2010. Among teams to take part in at least eight Serie A TIM campaigns, Parma have the highest percentage of matches drawn on matchday one: 58% (15/26). Napoli have opened their Serie A TIM season away from home in six consecutive seasons, despite this the Partenopei have won each of their last three games on matchday one, scoring at least two goals each time. Napoli have lost their last two away games in Serie A TIM, and could lose three in a row on their travels for the first time since April 2016. New Parma manager Fabio Liverani, has lost both of his matchday one games in Serie A TIM (with Genoa in 2013 and Lecce in 2019). Andreas Cornelius netted 12 goals in Serie A TIM last season - the last Parma player to score more in a single Serie A TIM campaign was Sebastian Giovinco in 2011-12 (15). Lorenzo Insigne has provided three goals and three assists across his last three matchday one appearances. He could play his 350th match with Napoli in all competitions in this match (currently on 349). 20/09/2020 15:00 - LUIGI FERRARIS GENOA Vs CROTONE Genoa are unbeaten against Crotone in Serie A TIM (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in the most recent two games. Crotone’s first goal in Serie A TIM came in August 2016 against Genoa, scored by Raffaele Palladino. Genoa are unbeaten in their last four matchday one Serie A TIM matches (W2 D2), after losing their previous three. Crotone have lost both of their matchday one Serie A TIM matches without scoring: on the road against Bologna in 2016 and at home against AC Milan in 2017. Genoa have won their last two matches against promoted teams in Serie A TIM, both at Ferraris Stadium (vs Lecce and Verona). Crotone lost their last away game in Serie B (vs Trapani), after a streak of 13 matches unbeaten on the road (W9 D4). 23% of Genoa’s goals in Serie A TIM last season came from the penalty spot (11/47), the highest percentage of any side in Europe’s top five leagues. Crotone netted the most headed goals (17) in Serie B last season; the Rossoblù also scored the most goals in the first half (33). Miha Zajc debuted in Serie A TIM against Crotone in January 2017 with Empoli – the Genoa midfielder has played 25 matches in the Italian top-flight (four goals and three assists). Simy (10 goals) is one three Crotone players to have netted 10+ goals in Serie A TIM, alongside Diego Falcinelli (13) and Marcello Trotta (10) – the Nigerian striker was the top scorer in Serie B last season (20 goals). 20/09/2020 18:00 - MAPEI STADIUM SASSUOLO Vs CAGLIARI Sassuolo and Cagliari have drawn seven of their 12 meetings in Serie A TIM, including the most recent two (three wins for Sassuolo and two for Cagliari). Sassuolo are unbeaten in six Serie A TIM home matches against Cagliari (W2 D4). The Neroverdi previously netted the most goals in a single Serie A TIM game against Cagliari - winning 6-2 in May 2017 at Mapei stadium. Sassuolo and Cagliari will face each other in the opening game of a Serie A TIM campaign for the second time, after drawing 1-1 in August 2014. Sassuolo are unbeaten in their previous four opening games of a Serie A TIM season when playing at Mapei stadium (W2 D2). Cagliari have failed to score in each of their last three opening games of a Serie A TIM campaign – their last goal on MD1 was scored back in 2016. Only Udinese (86%) scored a higher percentage of their goals from open play than Sassuolo (83%) and Cagliari (77%) in Serie A TIM last season. Cagliari’s Eusebio Di Francesco is the manager with the most matches in charge of Sassuolo in Serie A TIM: 147 (W50 D40 L57). Since Serie A TIM resumed in June, Sassuolo’s Francesco Caputo has been involved in 11 goals in Serie A TIM (eight goals and three assists); the joint-most of Italian player in this period, alongside Ciro Immobile. Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi has been involved in seven goals in his seven appearances on MD1 in Serie A TIM (five goals and two assists), including a hat-trick last season (v Sampdoria). Cagliari forward Leonardo Pavoletti made his first 11 appearances in Serie A TIM while playing for Sassuolo (scoring one goal) – the striker has netted four goals against the Neroverdi; only against Sampdoria (5) has he scored more in the Italian top-flight. 20/09/2020 20:45 - ALLIANZ STADIUM JUVENTUS Vs SAMPDORIA The last time Juventus and Sampdoria played out a draw in Serie A TIM was back in December 2014 - since then, the Bianconeri have won nine and lost two. Juventus have won each of their last five home Serie A TIM matches against Sampdoria, scoring at least two goals in each game (16 goals in the period). Juventus and Sampdoria will face each other in the opening game of a Serie A TIM season for the third time - the Blucerchiati won 1-0 in 1982, while the Bianconeri won 1-0 in 2013. Juventus have won 66% of their season-opening games in Serie A TIM (57/87); the highest win rate of any team in the competition (min.