Serie A 2019/20: Roma vs Sassuolo – tactical analysis

There is always a certain amount of intrigue surrounding the appointment of a new coach. This is especially true when that coach is appointed at a club like Roma, a giant of the Italian game who had been underperforming recently. Last season saw the highly experienced Claudio Ranieri given time at the helm as the powers that be at the club sought a coach who could move the club forward. In the summer the decision was made to appoint the Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, formerly of Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

Fonseca is a coach with a recognizable game model that he will look to implement at Roma but as with any other new appointment, this model will take time to fully embed. Indeed, they started the season with two consecutive draws, at home to Genoa and away to city rivals Lazio.

Their opponents in this match, Sassuolo, are widely regarded as a more forward-thinking Italian club. They were one of the first in Italy to follow the lead of Juventus in building their own stadium. A move that will provide immediate financial benefits. They also recruit and trust young players whilst playing an attractive brand of football under their 40-year-old coach Roberto De Zerbi.

In this tactical analysis, we will examine the key tactical battles that led to Roma winning the match 4-2.

Lineups

This match saw Roma line up in a 4-2-3-1 shape with their new Armenian signing Henrik Mkhitaryan on the left-hand side of the attack. Jordan Veretout and Bryan Cristante formed the double pivot in the centre of the midfield. The experienced Bosnian international Eden Dzeko led the line as the lone striker.

Sassuolo started the match in a 3-4-3 structure with Francesco Caputo leading the line and the talented Domenico Berardi supporting him from a deeper position.

Roma access wide areas

Roma took control of the match early on and indeed they were 4-0 up at half-time despite having a penalty decision overturned in the first couple of minutes following a VAR check. Sassuolo struggled to contain Roma as they progressed the ball into the final third and then spaced their attacking players across the width of the field. On the right-hand side, Justin Kluivert retained his wide position while Lorenzo Pellegrini, playing as the 10 drifted forward to occupy the half-space on that side.

On the opposite side