The lights of the Stadio Olimpico shine on a crucial Serie A encounter tonight, Saturday, January 10, 2026, as AS Roma hosts Sassuolo. Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00 CET (17:00 GMT).
Roma enters the second half of the season firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini. Following a midweek victory over Lecce, the Giallorossi are looking to capitalize on Sassuolo's recent dip in form to cement their status among Italy's elite.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: Serie A (Matchday 20)
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Kick-off: 18:00 CET / 17:00 GMT / 12:00 ET
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Referee: TBD (VAR: In use)
Broadcast: Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports 3 (UK), DAZN (Italy)
The Storyline: Top-Four Aspirations vs. Mid-Table Resilience
AS Roma: The Gasperini Revolution
Since taking over in the summer of 2025, Gian Piero Gasperini has transformed Roma into a disciplined, high-intensity side. Currently sitting 5th in the table, the Giallorossi are on a remarkable "no-draw" streak, having gone 31 consecutive matches without sharing the points. Wednesday's 2–0 win at Lecce saw Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk find the net, proving that despite an injury-hit squad, Roma has the firepower to challenge for Champions League qualification.
Sassuolo: Searching for Stability
Fabio Grosso’s Sassuolo find themselves in 11th place, but they arrive in the capital on a worrying five-match winless run. After a heavy 3–0 defeat to Juventus on Tuesday, the Neroverdi are desperate for a positive result to avoid sliding into a relegation scrap. While they have picked up a respectable 12 points on the road this season, their defense remains a concern, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight outings.
Team News & Absentees
AS Roma Team News
Injury Blow: Artem Dovbyk limped off against Lecce and will miss several weeks with a thigh strain. Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini is also sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Suspension: Midfield anchor Bryan Cristante serves a one-match ban.
International Duty: Evan Ndicka (Ivory Coast) and Neil El Aynaoui (Morocco) are competing at AFCON.
Returns: Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso are back after serving suspensions.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ziólkowski, Hermoso; Çelik, Pisilli, Koné, Tsimikas; Dybala, Soulé; Ferguson.
Sassuolo Team News
Key Absence: Club legend Domenico Berardi remains out with a hamstring strain.
Missing: Cristian Volpato, Yeferson Paz, and Daniel Boloca are all injured. Woyo Coulibaly is away with Mali at AFCON.
Doubt: Kristian Thorstvedt is nursing a shoulder contusion but may feature.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Muric; Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig; Lipani, Matic, Koné; Fadera, Pinamonti, Laurienté.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Recent Dominance: Roma has won three of the last five meetings between these two sides.
Home Fortress: Roma is unbeaten in eight of their last nine home league matches against Sassuolo.
The "Zero Draw" Club: Roma has not drawn a single league game this season (12 wins, 7 losses).
The Matic Reunion: Sassuolo midfielder Nemanja Matic returns to face his former club at the Olimpico.
Tactical Analysis: High Press vs. Counter-Attack
Gasperini will likely employ his trademark high press, utilizing the creativity of Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé to feed Evan Ferguson. With Dovbyk out, the young Irishman Ferguson bears the primary scoring responsibility.
Sassuolo will likely set up in a compact 4-3-3, relying on the veteran presence of Matic to control the tempo. They will look to exploit any gaps left by Roma's attacking wing-backs, with Armand Laurienté and Andrea Pinamonti providing the threat on the break.
Match Prediction
Roma’s defensive solidity (conceding just 0.6 goals per game) combined with the home advantage makes them strong favorites. Sassuolo’s struggle to keep clean sheets suggests they will find it difficult to withstand a Gasperini-led attack for 90 minutes.
Final Score Prediction: AS Roma 2–0 Sassuolo
