SASSUOLO
Tomorrow’s match will be the first ever in the league between two provincial teams who have found, with very wealthy owners – capable of capitalizing on their investments – a way to carve out a significant niche for themselves in top-flight football.
From this perspective, it’s almost a derby between Como (photo) and Sassuolo, who, throughout their history, have traveled on paths that have never crossed, and which have seen them, in the third millennium, climb the ranks to reach stages they seemed impossible to aspire to until 20 years ago. Indeed: in 2005, Sassuolo was in Serie C2, fresh from a handover that would see Mapei take ownership of the club and lead it to Serie A and Europe, while Como, having gone bankrupt the year before, was starting again in the fourth division, only to fail again in 2017 and begin a climb that has brought them to where they are today, namely, just outside the Champions League zone. The “felix province,” blessed by the investments of two very strong owners, will be looking at each other tomorrow, eager to see what their “first time” will be like. Which, technically, isn’t a “first,” since Como and Sassuolo have already faced each other in the Coppa Italia, no more than two months ago. It was the round of 32, played at the Sinigaglia on September 24th, with Como leading 3-0 in the first third of the match and everyone going home. Since then, Sassuolo, who were 15th with three points, have climbed seven places in the standings, picking up 14 points in eight games, the same as Como, who were eighth after four games and are now sixth. The Coppa Italia, and September, were one thing, but today is another. And maybe there’s a match to be had, on the lake…
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