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Juventus dropped points for the second consecutive game when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium in their previous Serie A fixture. Though they remain on the top of the league standings, they will certainly be looking to get back to winning ways after two unconvincing performances.
However, it will be a tough test for the Old Lady as they are up against a high-flying U.S.Sassuolo side, who defeated second-placed Lazio in their previous outing to make it four wins on the spin.
Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty brace helped Juventus salvage one point in their previous fixture and they will yet again be looking at their top scorer for goals against Sassuolo. I Neroverdi hold special significance for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as he scored his first-ever goal in Serie A against the club back in September 2018.
So, with both sides heading into the fixture looking for a win, here's what to expect when Sassuolo welcome Juventus at the Mapei Stadium in their Serie A fixture.
Sassuolo vs Juventus Head-to-Head
Sassuolo played their first-ever match in Serie A in 2013-14 season and have gone up against the Turin giants on 13 occasions since then. They've only won one game from these meetings, with a 1-0 win in the 2015-16 season at the Mapei Stadium.
Juventus have dominated the head-to-head record against Sassuolo, winning 10 games. Only two meetings have ended in a stalemate, including the reverse fixture from this campaign, which ended in 2-2 draw.
Sassuolo form guide: D-D-W-W-W-W.
Juventus form guide: W-W-W-W-L-D.
Sassuolo vs Juventus Team News
Sassuolo:
Roberto De Zerbi is expected to be without the services of striker Grégoire Defrel, midfielder Pedro Obiang and defender Filippo Romagna. Defrel picked up a hamstring injury last week and is expected to be out for 10-15 days. Obiang continues to struggle with match fitness while Romagna is a long-term absentee after he underwent a successful operation following a knee injury.
In their win over Lazio, Sassuolo's two top goal-scorers were on the bench. Though top scorer Francesco Caputo came on as a substitute to score the winning goal in injury time, Domenico Berardi was an unused substitute and is expected to start against Juventus.
No changes are expected in the midfield but De Zerbi might choose to rotate his defenders as he has done so many times since the resumption of Serie A.
Injuries: Grégoire Defrel (hamstring), Filippo Romagna (knee).
Doubtful: Pedro Obiang (match fitness).
Suspensions: None.
Juventus:
For Juventus, right-back Juan Cuadrado will miss the game due to suspension, adding to Maurizio Sarri's team selection woes. Defender Merih Demiral recently resumed training after seven months but Sarri is unlikely to rush him into the team.
Sami Khedira and Matt De Sciglio both remain on the sidelines owing to thigh injuries. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic was an unused substitute in their nervy draw against Atalanta and is expected to start against Sassuolo, possibly replacing Matuidi.
Left-back Alex Sandro has made two appearances as a substitute and can start at left-back in the game. This means Danilo will have to vacate the spot for his compatriot and move at right-back to fill in for Cuadrado.
Injuries: Mattia De Sciglio (thigh), Sami Khedira (thigh)
Doubtful: Merih Demiral (match fitness).
Suspensions: Juan Cuadrado
Sassuolo vs Juventus Predicted XI
Sassuolo (4-2-3-1): Andrea Consigli; Mert Müldür, Gian Marco Ferrari, Vlad Chiricheș, Rogério; Francesco Magnanelli, Manuel Locatelli; Domenico Berardi, Filip Djuricic, Jeremie Boga; Francesco Caputo.
Juventus (4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Matthijs De Ligt, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Adrien Rabiot, Miralem Pjanic, Rodrigo Bentancur; Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi.
Sassuolo vs Juventus Prediction
Juventus have failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous four fixtures and have recently been conceding goals soon after scoring themselves. This will certainly be a cause of concern for them against Sassuolo, who have scored 16 goals since Serie A returned.
The hosts are not a defensively solid side themselves but have a highly talented attacking unit that can cause problems for the Juventus defence. They held the Bianconeri to a well contested 2-2 draw earlier this season and would be looking to build on that result to secure a win at their home turf.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has hit top gear for Juventus and is just one goal behind Ciro Immobile in the Capocannoniere race. He will be looking to move ahead of the Italian in this fixture, where he is likely to play a key role.
The Bianconeri have struggled against teams that have a strong centre-half pairing throughout the season. Sassuolo lack strength in that department and are vulnerable enough to concede goals but their lethal attack can pull them back in the game. We expect this game to end in a high-scoring draw.
Final Verdict:- Sassuolo 2-2 Juventus
