De Zerbi insists Sassuolo does more than Tiki-Taka

“There’s still a long way to go this season. We have been through, and indeed are still in, a difficult moment, but there are signs we’re going towards the light at the end of the tunnel,”

the coach said.

“I see improvements in fitness levels and injuries. I think we’ll soon get back to being the team we were accustomed to seeing over the last two to three years.

“Ciccio Caputo’s fitness statistics are so much better than 15-20 days ago, while Gregoire Defrel, Filip Djuricic and Junior Traore are doing better too. We lost Jeremie Boga, but have Domenico Berardi back.

“There are elements to think we are on the right track to very soon become the team we were at the start of the season. We just have to accept that it’s impossible to always be at 100 per cent.”

Despite being famous for thrillers, the Neroverdi have been struggling in front of the goal recently.

“Sassuolo have scored a lot of goals over the last three years, so when I say we’re not as sharp as usual, I mean in our finishing too,”

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De Zerbi.

“People judge Sassuolo by this tiki-taka style horizontal passes to build out from the back, yet we can also score goals like Caputo against Spezia when it’s basically straight from the goalkeeper. We can and should do both.

“Crotone are bottom of the table, but they are a good team who know what to do on the pitch. It’s an important match for both sides and it’s important for us to seek three points with our identity.”