Sassuolo vs Torino preview - Sassuolo aim to build on Milan win

Posted Sunday, January 19, 2014 by PA

Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco hopes his team's triumph against Milan last weekend will be a turning point in their season and spark the Serie A newcomers in their bid to avoid the drop.

The 4-3 win - courtesy of Domenico Berardi's four goals - was significant considering it lifted Sassuolo out of the relegation zone ahead of Sunday's match against Torino.

The result halted a four-match losing run and marked Sassuolo's fourth win of the season.

"This was a beautiful and important result for us," Di Francesco said. "It will allow us to look ahead with optimism.

"We've handed good performances in recent games and I expect more of the same against Torino."

Sassuolo are 17th in the standings, one place and one point clear of the drop zone at the halfway point of the campaign.

"We have a lot of work to do and we cannot get too carried away," Di Francesco said. "We need to keep our feet firmly on the ground."

Sassuolo will face a stern test against a Torino side seeking a first win of 2014.

The Granata held Fiorentina to a goalless result last time out, a result which moved the Turin outfit to seventh place.

"The only thing that was missing to make it a perfect game for us was the goal," Torino coach Giampiero Ventura said.

"We played a very solid game from a tactical standpoint and I have congratulated my players for their performance against Fiorentina."

The only consolation for Sassuolo is that Toro have struggled on the road, winning just once in their last seven outings.

The hosts will be without defender Marcello Gazzola and striker Simone Zaza, both serving a one-match ban.

Toro will be boosted by the return of midfielder Ciro Immobile and striker Omar El Kaddouri, with both players having missed the encounter against Fiorentina through injury.

Moreover, Toro midfielder Giuseppe Vives returns from suspension.

Ventura. meanwhile, is set to hand Panagiotis Tachtsidis his debut with the Greek midfielder having joined the Granata this month on loan from Catania.