Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Sassuolo – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Serie A top-four hopefuls Juventus entertain newcomers Sassuolo in a high-stakes league clash at the Allianz Stadium. The hosts have no margin for error if they’re to stay relevant in the race for Champions League qualification.

Winter signing Jeremie Boga scored a winning goal as Juventus saw off Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium last weekend, securing their second consecutive Serie A victory following a 4-0 thrashing of Pisa on this ground. Despite those triumphs, Luciano Spalletti’s men sit a point adrift of fourth-placed Como ahead of this evening’s kickoff.

Missing out on a top-four finish would be a disaster for the record-time Italian champions. Therefore, Spalletti is under tremendous pressure to guide Juventus to a third consecutive league win. That’s a feat the Turin giants have achieved only twice this season, most recently in December.

Whether visiting Sassuolo have what it takes to deny the Bianconeri a much-needed triumph here remains questionable after they lost their last two Serie A matches against Lazio and Bologna. Though both those defeats came by a single-goal margin, they have compromised the visitors’ hopes of securing a top-half finish.

Indeed, Fabio Grosso’s charges currently trail 10th-placed Udinese by a point, highlighting just how close they are to breaking into the top half of the table heading into the final stretch of the season. However, they must defy the odds here to stay within touching distance.

Match Preview

Juventus

In addition to winning their last two Serie A matches, Juventus kept a clean sheet on both occasions, having previously conceded at least twice in four consecutive league outings. Buoyed by this noticeable defensive improvement, Spalletti’s top-four-bidding side will look to improve their stuttering home form.

Despite boasting Serie A’s third-best home record, Juventus have delivered a mixed bag of performances across their last three league games at the Allianz Stadium (W1, D1, L1). With both matches (won/lost) in this sequence seeing the winner keep a clean sheet, there’s no need to stress the importance of drawing first blood, something Juve have done in 50% of their league fixtures this term (7/14).

Confidence should be high among home fans, given that the Bianconeri have won five of their last seven competitive matches at the Allianz Stadium (D1, L1). Nevertheless, Juventus cannot afford to take anything for granted, having picked up fewer points after the opening 29 rounds just twice since the 2011/12 season.

Sassuolo

Sassuolo’s recent slump has not affected the club’s impressive comeback campaign, with the Neroverdi amassing more than their 38 points just twice across their last eight Serie A campaigns after the opening 29 rounds. However, Grosso must find a cure for Sassuolo’s travel sickness if they are to add to that tally this weekend.

Indeed, the visitors have won just two of their eight away league clashes against teams starting this round above them this season (W1, D2, L5). Furthermore, they have claimed only two wins on the road since late November (D2, L4), highlighting just how difficult it could be for them to avenge a dismal 3-0 defeat in January’s reverse fixture.

As if that’s not concerning enough, Sassulo have lost their last two Serie A visits to Turin via an identical 3-0 scoreline. And with just one of the last 16 meetings between these two sides producing under 2.5 goals, another high-scoring showdown could be on the cards, promising plenty of excitement for neutrals.

Team News

Juventus have received a double injury boost ahead of this clash, as long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik and Dusan Vlahovic resumed full training in midweek. However, both are lacking match fitness, suggesting out-of-form Jonathan David should retain his place in the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Alieu Fadera, Daniel Boloca, and Fali Cande remain in the pits. Ex-Juventus forward Domenico Berardi should join Armand Lauriente and Andrea Pinamonti in the final third, with sought-after center-back Tarik Muharemovic expected to lead the visitors’ back four.

Juventus vs Sassuolo Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Perin; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, McKennie, Boga; Yildiz.

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Garcia; Kone, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente.

Juventus vs Sassuolo Prediction

With Juventus hitting their stride at this crucial juncture, it’s difficult to imagine anything other than another clear-cut victory for the home side. Sassuolo’s recent travel woes are too damning to be overlooked, as we back the Bianconeri to extend their dominance in this fixture.