Sassuolo vs Sampdoria preview - Banned Berardi sits out Samp clash

Posted Saturday, September 20, 2014 by PA

Sassuolo will have to overcome the absence of Domenico Berardi as they attempt to pick up their first win of the season at home to Sampdoria on Sunday.

Berardi was slapped with a three-match ban by the Italian football league for violent conduct in last weekend's 7-0 humiliation at Inter Milan.

The 20-year-old striker, who is on loan from Juventus, elbowed Inter's Juan Jesus in the neck and was shown a straight red card.

Sasuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco said: "What Berardi did was wrong and he has to pay for it. You cannot react in the manner he did.

"Young players have to assume responsibility for their actions and Berardi is no exception.

"My focus right now is on the players that I have available."

Berardi, who was last season's top scorer for Sassuolo with 16 goals, will miss Sunday's game as well as next week's encounters against Fiorentina and Napoli.

Sassuolo began the campaign with a 1-1 draw against Cagliari before being demolished by Inter last weekend.

"We made so many mistakes from a technical and tactical level," Di Francesco said. "It felt during that game as though this team did not have a coach.

"We showed no balance on the pitch and we have to work extremely hard to put things right."

Floro Flores will replace Berardi and partner Sime Vrsaljko in Sassuolo's attack.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, will be looking to pick up where they left off in last weekend's 2-0 triumph over Torino.

That win in Genoa followed their 1-1 draw at Palermo in their league opener.

"I'm very happy with my team's performance and with the result," Samp coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said. "Against Torino, we played with an aggressive mentality and gave away few chances.

"I know that in the future we will have to suffer but I'm convinced that we can achieve good results."

Mihajlovic will have all of his players available for the encounter at the Mapei stadium.

The hosts will be without defender Paolo Cannavaro, who serves a one-match ban.