Sassuolo boss Alessio Dionisi admitted that his side enter tonight’s league showdown at the Stadio Olimpico versus Roma as underdogs.
The Italian tactician, who replaced Roberto De Zerbi in the summer, expects an intense atmosphere as the Giallorossi welcome back their supporters for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It’s going to be a difficult match. I imagine there will be a lot of supporters present,” he said.
“But we’re not going to Rome to be another sacrificial victim. We’re aware that we aren’t favorites on paper, but many times the outcome on the pitch is different than what’s on paper.”
“This is yet another test of maturity for our team. Every match we have to prove that we can overcome difficulties. We need courage and a bit of luck because it will be tough if they play their football. But we can’t drop and must suffer a bit.”
Dionisi also gave his compliments to Roma boss Jose Mourinho, who will manage his 1,000th match this evening.
“I must congratulate Mourinho on this. It obviously means he’s been doing this for a long time and doing it well,” he concluded.