Juventus vs. Sassuolo – News and Probable Lineups

As they aim for a vital top-four finish, Serie A powerhouse Juventus will face mid-table Sassuolo on Saturday night.

Despite achieving two consecutive victories, Juve still find themselves outside the Champions League spots, while their opponents have just experienced back-to-back losses.

Match overview

A mere three points separate three teams vying for a single position in next season’s Champions League, with nine Serie A matches left to play – Juventus, Roma, and Como.

Defending champions Napoli look set to join both Milan clubs in the top tier of European competition, forcing Juve to scramble for their spot in order to avoid financial repercussions.

The Bianconeri secured a victory against Udinese last week, courtesy of a first-half goal from loan signing Jeremie Boga, while Como triumphed over Roma; this left the Lariani one point ahead of Juve.

Now, taking on home opposition from the mid-table, Luciano Spalletti’s squad aims for a third consecutive win against Sassuolo.

Fresh from a 3-0 win in their last encounter, Juventus has taken full points from the last two clashes, netting six goals without conceding.

Having already reached fourth place on the all-time coaching list, another victory would make Spalletti the fourth manager to achieve 300 Serie A wins – he currently holds 299 from 579 top-flight matches.

Of Sassuolo’s four Serie A triumphs against Juventus, only one was secured in Turin, and they have not managed to keep a clean sheet at the Allianz Stadium across 11 attempts, conceding an average of 2.7 goals per match.

It seems fair to argue that historical trends won’t favor the Neroverdi this weekend, and recent performance poses concerns for head coach Fabio Grosso.

After suffering a late defeat to Lazio, they were also beaten by Bologna in the recent Emilia-Romagna derby, dropping to 10th place as a result.

Sassuolo has been alternating between wins and losses, having not drawn any of their last 11 league matches, but they remain comfortably placed in mid-table, staving off a quick return to Serie B.

After being promoted to Italy’s top division last year, Grosso and his squad are exceeding their own expectations, meaning a rare win over Juve would be a significant achievement.

Team News

For Juventus, only Emil Holm is sidelined, while forwards Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik are both available again after lengthy absences.

However, neither player may be fit enough to start upfront, meaning the sought-after Jonathan David is likely to lead the attack, or Kenan Yildiz could continue in a false nine role.

With his assist for Boga’s goal against Udinese, the latter reached the milestone of 10 goals and 10 assists for the season, including his contributions in the Club World Cup.

On the Sassuolo side, former Juventus target Domenico Berardi is expected to join Armand Lauriente and Andrea Pinamonti in their usual front three – this trio has accumulated 18 league goals collectively this season.

Ex-Juventus player Tarik Muharemovic anchors the Neroverdi’s defense, positioned in front of goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who hopes to help Kosovo qualify for their first World Cup later this month.

Once again, Alieu Fadera, Daniel Boloca, and long-term casualty Fali Cande remain unavailable due to injury.

Juventus probable starting XI:

Perrin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, McKennie, Boga; Yildiz

Sassuolo probable starting XI:

Muric; Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Garcia; Kone, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente

Focusing solely on the league – and with some key players returning to fitness – Juventus appear to be strong contenders for securing fourth place in Serie A.

While they pose a threat, Sassuolo have relatively little incentive to play for, which should assist the home side in celebrating their boss’s 300th league victory.