Juventus travel to the Mapei Stadium to face Sassuolo on Sunday, looking to return to winning ways after drawing with Milan last weekend. The game will also be their last rehearsal before next week’s Europa League opener against NEC Nijmegen.
Federico Gatti’s late equalizer saved Juventus a point from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with the Rossoneri. The result seemed unfair considering Luciano Spalletti’s side completely outclassed their Turin rivals, but a lack of finishing nearly saw them suffer their first defeat of the season.
Nonetheless, after a dramatic pause in their 100% record in Serie A in 2026/27, Juventus will start a new winning streak against a superb Sassuolo side. Despite losing 2-1 to Atalanta on Alberto Aquilani’s touchline debut, Nerolodi started the season quite well.
In addition to defeating Cesena and Frosinone in the Italian Cup, Sassuolo defeated Turin 2-1 at home in the second round, but in the 2-2 draw with Bologna last weekend, Sassuolo equalized in the 90th minute. However, Juventus’ upcoming visit will undoubtedly be Aquilani’s toughest test yet.
Game preview
Sassuolo
After conceding two points against Renato Dalara last time out, Sassuolo will likely enjoy their upcoming trip home, especially since they have won all three of their games at the Mapei Stadium this season. Additionally, the hosts have won six of their last eight Serie A games in Emilia Romagna (second tier), including high-profile wins against Milan and Como.
Further confidence comes from Sassuolo’s improved form in recent games against Juventus, with Nero Lodi claiming two wins in their last three league games (L1). Against this backdrop, they have lost to the Turin heavyweights more times (16) than against any other opponent in Serie A, underscoring the enormity of the task Aquilani faces tonight.
Still, the timing of this game paints a more ominous picture for the home side. Sassuolo have won just one of their last eight Serie A matches played on Sunday (D2, L5), which could undermine their optimism ahead of this revenge game. In fact, after a 0-3 defeat in this game last season, the home team must be eager to equalize here.
juventus
While waiting for deadline day signing Nick Waltermade to establish himself in Serie A, Spalletti must find a way to address Juventus’ notorious early-season profligacy. The record-breaking Italian champions have performed well below their overall expectations, scoring just four goals in their first three games.
Despite wasting resources in front of the goal, Juventus have accumulated 7 points so far (2 wins, 1 draw). They beat Frosinone and Parma without conceding before drawing with Milan last weekend. Defensively solid, Spalletti’s side have kept a commendable five clean sheets in their past six Serie A away games (4 wins, 2 draws).
However, with Juventus’ four wins in this series all coming by a slim 1-0 margin, the focus will once again be on defensive stability rather than attacking talent. Breaking the deadlock could be crucial, especially considering both teams have scored in just four of Juventus’ last 14 Serie A games.
Team news
Sassuolo was severely weakened by injuries in this game. Sebastian Walukiewicz, Daniel Boloca and Cristian Volpato join the long-absent Fali Cande, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Ismael Kone in treatment. On the bright side, standout winger Domenico Berardi is fully fit and should start in the final third alongside Armand Laurent and Sebastiano Esposito.
Speaking of a lengthy injury list, Juventus are still missing several integral first-team stars, including Kefren Thuram and Kenan Yildiz. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Jeremy Boga, Juan Cabal, Jeff Héctor, Andrea Cambiaso, Papu Matar Sarr and Weston McKennie are all unavailable for the trip, leaving Spalletti facing some tough choices.
Sassuolo vs Juventus potential starting lineup
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Cinkgrano, Izes, Leyson, Doig; Adzic, Matic, Tosteveit; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente.
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lukumi, Celik; Luis, Kupmainas; Conceição, Gonzalez, Alabegovic; Walter Mader.
Sassuolo vs Juventus prediction
Sassuolo can compete with Juventus here even without several first-team stalwarts, but the visitors should ultimately win in Mapei and take home three valuable points. Don’t be surprised if they do this with the skin of their teeth.
Prediction: Juventus wins
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