Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi has urged his players not to show Inter too much respect when they play the Nerazzurri next Sunday.

Antonio Conte’s men will be eager to return to winning ways at the Mapei Stadium after consecutive defeats against Barcelona and Juventus.

De Zerbi discussed the upcoming fixture at today’s Trento Sport Festival, as well as looking back on the Neroverdi’s performances so far this season.

He told TuttoMercatoWeb: “We are coming off a few unfortunate matches and we have to regroup. We’re going to meet an Inter side who lost to Juventus but who until then were doing better than everyone else.

“We need to play with courage and concentration. Players like Inter’s can beat you in any moment.”

De Zerbi also discussed Inter’s title credentials under Conte and had words of praise for Stefano Sensi, whom he managed for the Neroverdi last season.

“We’re happy to see Sensi playing like this, with the level he has reached and the game-time he’s earned himself,” he said.

“If he misses next weekend’s match through injury then perhaps that would be better…

“Inter are a strong team, you don’t need me to tell you that. Conte will know if they’re good enough to win the Scudetto, all I know is that my team isn’t the side you’ve seen in the last two games.

“The match we won against SPAL was among the best of my management career, but then came some games where we didn’t show great character and were poor from a tactical perspective.”

Asked whether the international break had come at the right moment, De Zerbi added: “We have to take every moment in a positive way.

“There have been weeks without matches in the past due to the international break and we have always trained well.”