Matchday 28 Serie A TIM 2020-21 19 - 21 March 2021 19/03/2021 20:45 - ENNIO TARDINI PARMA Vs GENOA Parma have won each of their last five games against Genoa in Serie A TIM - only against Bari between 1999 and 2009 they had a longer such run in the top-flight (6) against an opponent. Genoa have only won one of their last seven away games against Parma in Serie A TIM (D3 L3), winning 2-1 in October 2014 under Gian Piero Gasperini. Parma won last time out against Roma; last winning two games in a row in Serie A TIM back in July 2020, against Napoli and Brescia. Parma won their last home league game, having failed to win any of their previous 11 such matches (D5 L6); they last won consecutive home games in Serie A TIM in January 2020 (2). Genoa have won none of their last six matches in Serie A TIM (D4 L2), having won five of the previous eight games under Davide Ballardini in the competition (D2 L1). Genoa have failed to score in each of their last three games on the road, last failing to find the net in more consecutive away matches in Serie A TIM back in May 2017 (4). Genoa are the team who have scored the fewest headed goals in Serie A TIM so far this season (2), although Parma are the side who have conceded the most in this fashion (13). Parma (2) and Genoa (3) are two of the three teams (alongside Crotone, 3) to have scored the fewest goals in the last 15 minutes of play in Serie A TIM this season – Parma have scored 24% of their goals (6/25) in the first 15 minutes of play, meanwhile, which is the highest ratio in Serie A TIM this term. Mihai Valentin Mihaila has scored a goal in each of his last two games in Serie A TIM - the last Parma player to find the net in three matches in a row in the top-flight was Dejan Kulusevski last July. Genoa could become the fourth different team with which Mattia Destro (currently 9) has netted 10+ goals in a single Serie A TIM campaign, after Siena (12 in 2011-12), Roma (13 in 2013-14) and Bologna (11 in 2016-17). 20/03/2021 15:00 - EZIO SCIDA CROTONE Vs BOLOGNA Crotone haven’t drawn any of their five games against Bologna in Serie A TIM, winning twice and losing three. No team has drawn fewer home games than Crotone in Serie A TIM this term, having only had one stalemate so far - against Juventus in October (W4 L8). Crotone have recorded all of their league wins in home matches this season (4/4), one of only two sides in the top-5 European leagues to do so, along with Schalke 04 (1/1). Crotone haven’t drawn any of their last 15 games in Serie A TIM (W3 L12), with their last one coming in December against Udinese. Crotone have conceded 2+ goals in each of their last nine league games - the last side to record a longer such run in Serie A TIM was Udinese in May 2018 (13). Bologna won last time out against Sampdoria, while they last picked up victories in consecutive games in Serie A TIM in November - against Sampdoria and Crotone. Bologna have failed to score in four of their last seven away games in Serie A TIM, as many as in their previous 13 matches on the road. Crotone have conceded 36 goals in the first half of games in Serie A TIM this season, more than any other side so far. Bologna, meanwhile, have conceded four goals in the last 15 minutes of play, the joint-lowest such tally in the competition. Crotone’s Simy has scored 12 goals so far, two more than in his previous two Serie A TIM seasons combined (10: 7 + 3); he has found the net in each of his previous three games, while the last African player to score at least one goal in four Serie A TIM games in a row was Bologna's Musa Barrow last July. Bologna’s Musa Barrow has been directly involved in 12 goals (6 goals, 6 assists) in Serie A TIM this season - he is just one away from matching his tally from last season (13), which is his most in a single campaign: nine goals and four assists between Atalanta and his current team Bologna. 20/03/2021 18:00 - ALBERTO PICCO SPEZIA Vs CAGLIARI Spezia have won seven of their 14 games against Cagliari between Serie A TIM, Serie B and the Coppa Italia (D4 L3). Spezia have lost only one of their six home games against Cagliari between Serie B and the Coppa Italia (W4 D1), however that was in the most recent such meeting - 0-3 in November 2015 in the league. Since recording Serie A TIM victories against Sassuolo and Milan, Spezia have gained just two points from their last five league games (D2 L3). Spezia have gone unbeaten in their last three league home games (W1 D2), after failing to avoid defeat in consecutive matches across the previous 10. Cagliari have scored six goals in their last four league games, having only scored one goal in their previous seven. Cagliari have gained four points in their last two Serie A TIM away games (W1 D1), just one fewer than in the previous 10 combined (W1 D2 L7). Despite being the fourth worst defence in the league in terms of goals conceded (50), Spezia are the team that have conceded the fewest headed goals in Serie A TIM this season (one). No team has scored fewer goals than Spezia in the first 15 minutes of play in Serie A TIM this season (one), while only Benevento (eight) have conceded more than Cagliari (seven) in this period of games. Spezia’s Emmanuel Gyasi scored his first ever Serie A TIM goal in this season’s reverse fixture against Cagliari – a game which ended 2-2. Among defenders in the top five European leagues with at least four assists this season, Cagliari’s Gabriele Zappa is the youngest to have done so, and one of only two born since 1999, along with Real Betis’ Emerson. 20/03/2021 20:45 - GIUSEPPE MEAZZA INTER Vs SASSUOLO Sassuolo have won seven of their 15 matches against Inter in Serie A TIM (D2 L6) - against no other opponent have they recorded more wins in the Italian top-flight. Inter are unbeaten in their last four games against Sassuolo in Serie A TIM (W2, D2), after losing the previous four such meetings against the Neroverdi. After winning their first two home matches against Sassuolo in Serie A TIM, Inter have picked up just two points in their last five league games at the Meazza stadium against the Neroverdi. Inter have won each of their last eight Serie A games, while the only previous occasion that they have achieved at least nine league wins in a row was in 2007, when the Nerazzurri established the Serie A TIM record for consecutive victories (17). Inter have won their last 10 home Serie A TIM games - the last time they won more home league matches in a row was back in 2011, in a run of 13. Sassuolo have conceded in each of their last 16 league games, while they have never previously conceded in 17 consecutive Serie A TIM outings. Inter have scored the most headed goals in Serie A TIM this season (13), while only Genoa (two) have netted fewer headers than Sassuolo (three). Lautaro Martínez has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season, as many as he netted in the whole of last season in Serie A TIM. Among the players with at least 14 goals in the top-5 European leagues this term, only Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are younger than the Argentine. Romelu Lukaku's first brace in Serie A TIM for Inter came against Sassuolo in October 2019. Since the start of 2021, the Belgian forward is one of only three players with both 6+ goals and 6+ assists in top-5 European Leagues, alongside Lionel Messi and Jadon Sancho. Since the start of 2013/14, Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi has scored six league goals against Inter; the joint-most of any player against the Nerazzurri in Serie A TIM in this period, alongside Gonzalo Higuaín and Radja Nainggolan. 21/03/2021 12:30 - MARCANTONIO BENTEGODI HELLAS VERONA Vs ATALANTA In the last nine Serie A TIM matches between Verona and Atalanta, both teams have picked up three victories each (three draws). Atalanta have picked up four points in their last two away Serie A TIM games against Verona, after losing their previous five games on the road against the Gialloblù in the top-flight. Verona have lost their last two league games – the last time they suffered three defeats in a row in Serie A TIM was back in May 2018 (a run of seven). After a streak of four consecutive home clean sheets, Verona have conceded in each of their last 10 Serie A TIM matches, their longest streak in a single top-flight campaign since May 2016. Since the start of February, only Inter (21) have picked up more points than Atalanta (16) in Serie A TIM. Atalanta lost their last away league match versus Inter, while they could suffer consecutive away defeats in Serie A TIM for the first time since November 2017.