Sassuolo and Como meet at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia on Friday, April 17, with kick-off set for 18:30 CET, or 17:30 BST, in the opening match of Serie A Week 33. The game starts a run of two early Friday fixtures, with Inter-Cagliari following at 20:45 CET.
The match matters most for Como. They go into the night two points below fourth-placed Juventus, and a win would lift them into a Champions League place for a few hours if Juventus do not beat Bologna on Sunday. For Sassuolo, the team sheet is shaped by absences: Domenico Berardi and Josh Doig are suspended, while Candè, Pieragnolo, Boloca, Romagna, Garcia and Vranckx are all out injured. Bakola is also unavailable.
The line-ups point to a clear tactical split. Sassuolo are listed in a 4-3-3, with Nemanja Matic starting in central midfield, while Como are set up in a 4-2-3-1 under Cesc Fabregas from the touchline. Addai, Lahdo and Sergi Roberto are unavailable for Como, leaving Fabregas with fewer options in a game that could briefly change the shape of the top four.
There is also a bigger reason Friday has been packed early. The Serie A weekend begins with these two games because the Coppa Italia semifinals are due next week, with Inter and Como set to meet at San Siro on Tuesday, April 22, in the second leg.
So even before the table shifts, this is a night with pressure on both benches. Como can put themselves inside the Champions League places for at least 48 hours, while Sassuolo must find a result without several regular names in a week that already runs into another high-stakes meeting for Fabregas and his side.