Preseason friendlies: Sassuolo vs. Augsburg, probable lineups

The “Enzo Ricci” Stadium in Sassuolo—the original home of the Neroverdi before they first moved to the “Braglia” in Modena and then to the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia to compete in the top two divisions of the Italian league from 2008 onward, will host the match between the Neroverdi and Augsburg, a team from the German Bundesliga, starting at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 8.

Sassuolo’s preseason has so far lacked any particular bright spots, judging by the results: the only victory came on July 22, a 4-1 win over Padova (with Laurienté scoring a brace, plus goals from Moro and Pierini). This was followed by losses in the 45-minute matches of the three-way tournament against Parma and Trento (a 0-0 draw and a loss on penalty kicks to Parma, and a 2-0 defeat to Trento), a lackluster 0-0 draw with Folgore Caratese, and a 4-1 loss to Celta last Wednesday, with Bakola scoring the Neroverdi’s only goal and Laurienté receiving a straight red card when the score was 1-1.

Augsburg, for its part, is looking for a strong result against a team that was one of last year’s positive surprises in Serie A, although the coaching staff has since changed (from Fabio Grosso to Alberto Aquilani). The Red-and-Whites have played three preseason matches so far: a 1-1 draw against Saarbrücken, a 5-2 loss to England’s Bournemouth, and a 15-0 rout in a friendly against the Austrian amateur side Schwaz, not exactly a tough opponent.

Probable Lineups

SASSUOLO (4-3-3): Turati: Missori, Odenthal, Macchioni, Cinquegrano; Matic, Lipani; Ciervo, Bakola, Laurienté; Pinamonti. Head Coach: Aquilani.

AUGSBURG (3-4-2-1): Dahmen; Pedersen, Massengo, Gregoritsch, Breithaupt, Fellhauer, Kastanaras, Rieder, Schnitzer, Ogundu, Banks. Head Coach: Baum.