CittaCalcioUSA Editor Jake Iovine reports.

For the past decade, Cittadella and Sassuolo have remained regulars in Serie B and Serie A, respectively. The two teams represent towns with populations lower than the capacity of San Siro but continue to be giant-killers in Italian football.

These two minnows are constantly punching above their weight. But despite their demographic similarities, they couldn’t be more different when it comes to financial might.

On Saturday, Cittadella will host Sassuolo for the first time in over 14 years at the Stadio Piercesare Tombolato. The Granata enter the weekend following a joint-record home defeat by Sudtirol, conceding five goals at home for the first time since 2013. Sassuolo, on the other hand, look to maintain their nine-point cushion at the summit.

Cittadella vs Sassuolo: Serie B’s ultimate mismatch?

The Neroverdi hold the highest wage bill in Serie B by a long shot, spending €33.4million between players and staff this season. Sassuolo also enjoyed a €25m cheque in parachute payments following relegation in May.

In contrast, Cittadella hold a wage bill of €3.4m, the lowest in the league.

Both clubs also find themselves on opposite ends of the table regarding market value. The Sassuolo sqaud has an estimated worth of €83.1m, while Cittadella’s €8.55m evaluation is the lowest in the second tier, according to Transfermarkt.

The closest team in terms of market value to the Neroverdi are Palermo, with €53.6m in value. On the field, the gulf in quality can also be seen. While Cittadella added to their squad in preseason by largely acquiring talent from Serie C for free, Sassuolo held on to most of their attacking threats from Serie A.

The Neroverdi were able to casually splash €3.6m on Swedish forward Laurs Skjellerup in the winter. The Dane has played only 63 minutes all season. The Granata? They’ve never spent more than €600,000 on a single player, with their record signing coming in 2013 when striker Alfredo Donnarumma signed from Catania.

Domenico Berardi, Armand Laurienté, Samuele Mulattieri, Luca Moro, Nicholas Pierini and Kristian Thorstvedt lead Fabio Grosso’s attack, netting the most goals in the league (60) after 29 games. Once again, Cittadella find themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum, netting the lowest number of goals (22) and the second most conceded (44).

Sassuolo’s 6-1 thrashing of Cittadella in the reverse fixture led the way for Edoardo Gorini’s dismissal. He became Cittadella’s first sacked coach in nearly 30 years. Saturday’s game could be another long afternoon for the Venetians, who hold the worst home record in Serie B this season with 11 points taken from a possible 42.

The economic disparity is eye-catching. One team is soaring back to Serie A, while the other is hanging on to survival. Cittadella and Sassuolo may have a common denominator with less historical presence in Italian football than others, but their differences go further beyond the pitch.

It may be Serie B’s version of David vs Goliath. Victory on Saturday could see either team take a massive step forward toward their season objectives. For Cittadella, that means salvation and a tenth consecutive season in Serie B.

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