At Mapei stadium, Sassuolo defeated Juventus in a narrow 1-0 lead. Substitute Defrel made the deference for Sassuolo as they got the much needed win.
Sassuolo made 2 changes from the team that lost 2-1 in overtime to Verona the previous time out. Domenico Berardi, the talisman forward, was injured, so Bajrami replaced him on the right side of the Neroverdi front three. Henrique took Harroui’s place in midfield elsewhere.
Massimiliano Allegri made five changes to the starting lineup for Juventus. With the addition of Vlahovic and Barbieri, who is making his Serie A debut, the back three of Bremer, Gatti, and Danilo joined Rabiot, Kostic, and Milik in keeping their positions. From the beginning, Di Maria and Chiesa were rested.
When Vlahovic received a lofted pass from Milik over the top, the Serbian striker just couldn’t hold the ball near the touchline, earning the Neroverdi a throw-in. Lopez initiated play for Sassuolo by passing to Bajrami on the right, but he sees his low cross deflected into the six-yard box.
When rookie Barbieri chased down a long ball forward and engaged Rogerio in combat, he believed he had won a corner for Juventus. The linesman, however, decided that the Bianconeri player had the last touch, awarding Sassuolo a goal-kick.
From the left flank, Kostic set up and delivered a cross, but Ruan rose to head it away as Vlahovic waited. Then Kostic fired from the edge of the area, but his shot was stopped in close range.
Toljan crossed in opposition to a Juventus defender at the byline to earn a corner. The set-piece was worked briefly, but taker Bajrami’s poor pass back was easily intercepted.
Bajrami blew his first significant opportunity. On the break, Sassuolo surged forward as Frattesi spotted Bajrami unmarked on the right side of the penalty area. His first touch gave him a good opportunity to shoot at goal, but Perin covered it because it was always rising.
On the left side of the Sassuolo field, Gatti gave up a free kick that was dangerously swung towards the far post. Danilo flicked the ball behind, giving the home team a corner. Sassuolo had a strong stretch. Frattesi fired a shot from a tight angle towards the near post after the corner was again worked short. His attempt was powerful, but it flashed off-target because the direction was just wrong.
Rabiot did well enough to maintain a stray ball in play, but Kostic mishandled it and Sassuolo went on the attack. A menacing cross from Rogerio was attempted, but Pinamonti was unable to stop it. With a searching cross-field pass, Paredes connected with Milik, but since strike partner Vlahovic was the only player assisting him, his left-footed cross was stopped.
Danilo fired from a distance for Juventus, and Di Maria and Cuadrado immediately got involved in the buildup as the Sassuolo custodian pushed his potent drive to safety. That was Juventus’ first attempt at a goal.
Henrique attacked a low cross that Bajrami sent in from the right while being pressed by Paredes and Bremer. Nobody touched the ball, but Perin misjudged it and it sailed towards the bottom-left corner before Gatti slid in and cleared.
Bajrami received a Sassuolo corner and worked it back to him before volleying from an awkward angle. Despite the shot being off-target, Gatti headed it into his own upright.
It was the substitute Defrel who managed to swivel on the ball 15 yards out and send an instinctual volley under Perin’s plunge into the bottom-right corner after Juventus failed to clear yet another Sassuolo corner. Sassuolo took the lead, 1-0.
Rabiot received a corner from Di Maria and connected with a header that was aimed at the top-left corner of the goal. The ball appeared to be headed for the net, but Consigli pulled off an outstanding diving save, pushing the ball out on to the top of the goal and behind.
Miretti lost the ball in a poor area, leaving Ceide all by himself to receive a looping right-wing cross. He had enough time to place a header into the corner of the net, but he instead deflected it directly at Perin, a relief for Juventus in dying moements.
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