Torino vs US Sassuolo Calcio preview - Ventura unhappy with early kick-off

Posted Saturday, November 22, 2014 by PA

Torino coach Giampiero Ventura is going into Sunday's home match against Sassuolo with trepidation because of the early kick-off time.

The game in Turin will begin at 12:30 local time - a start time that has not agreed with the Granata so far this season.

Toro have had six games get under way at the same time this term and have taken just one point.

"We have always struggled at that time," Ventura said to the Italian media. "We are considering making some changes because our performances have been under par.

"We have to make some alterations to our preparation because something is not working."

Toro have won just once at home this season and their 3-0 defeat at Roma last time out dropped them to 14th place in the Serie A table.

Lack of goalscoring has been the Granata's main problem, with Toro having found the back of the net seven times while they have failed to score in the previous two league games.

Former Juventus star Fabio Quagliarella is the only Toro striker to have scored in Serie A this season.

"I'm not worried because sooner or later the goals will come," Ventura said. "I'm satisfied with the work done by my strikers in training.

"We cannot forget that last season, Ciro Immobile also struggled early on but finished the campaign with 22 goals scored."

Rivals Sassuolo travel to Turin in fine fettle.

The Emilia-Romagna club is unbeaten in its last five league games and a goalless draw against Atalanta in the previous round lifted Eusebio Di Francesco's outfit above Torino, with both sides level on 12 points.

Sassuolo, who have won just once on the road this season - a 3-1 win at Parma on October 25 - are without injured defender Thomas Manfredini.b