The Sassuolo train continues at full steam. Fabio Grosso’s men demolished poor Reggiana 5-1 in the Reggio Emilia derby last weekend in a show of ruthless efficiency.

Goals from Samuele Mulattieri, Armand Lauriente, Daniel Boloca and Simone Verdi secured a resounding win, and took the Neroverdi one step closer to the promotion most expected at the onset of the season.

Sassuolo have ran away with the Serie B title this season. At the time of writing they are nine points ahead of Pisa in second, and a mammoth 17 ahead of third-placed Spezia.

This weekend Grosso and his swashbuckling side travel south to face Palermo, the club he represented as a player, at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Moreover, Grosso rejected the chance to manage Palermo last summer, opting for Sassuolo instead. The Sicilian side then turned to Alessio Dionisi.

Dionisi spent three years as Sassuolo boss but was sacked midway through last season, with the club struggling to survive in Serie A, leading to their eventual relegation.

“They’re playing in a league of their own, it’s incredible,” said Dionisi on the prospect of facing his old side.

Palermo themselves are fighting to stay in the hunt for a play-off spot. The 2-1 win at Salernitana will have boosted confidence and helped Dionisi, with the pressure mounting.

The signing of Joel Pohjanpalo from Venezia has been a major success for the Rosanero. Five goals in seven games has given Palermo the extra edge they needed in the second half of the season. 

The Finnish striker is more than good enough to play in Serie A, but the fact he dropped a division to help steer Palermo in the right direction speaks to the ambition of the club and owners City Group.

Paired up top with Matteo Brunori, the two are beginning to form a positive understanding, with 11 goal contributions between them in just seven games together.

Both netted in the win over the Granata — with Brunori’s in particular a stunner — and the victory took Palermo to seventh in the table. They are now just four points behind Juve Stabia and Catanzaro, but Cremonese remain some way off in fourth.

Yet given the competitive nature of Serie B, should they manage to string a couple of wins together, combined with defeats for their neighbours, then Palermo could climb up the table.

Dionisi will be buoyed by the news that Grosso has several absentees going into the game. Kristian Thorstvedt , Laurs Skjellerup , Luca Mazzitelli and Kevin Bonifazi all missed the thrashing of Reggiana, while Josh Doig is in a race to get fit for the trip.

Domenico Berardi also asked to come off in the final 15 minutes of the derby, but Grosso assured reporters after the game this was due to fatigue and nothing muscular.

The game pits two of the league’s hottest strikers in Pohjanpalo and Brunori against Berardi and Lauriente, who have been brilliant all season. Thirty-one goals and 19 assists between the four means it’s going to be a match of chances and goals.

A win this weekend, combined with a Spezia loss to Sampdoria, would guarantee promotion for Sassuolo with six games remaining. A win for Palermo would further boost confidence and keep Dionisi’s job safe for another week.

For the neutral, this is the game of the round. Don’t miss out.