Match Preview
Juventus FC travels to the Mapei Stadium to face US Sassuolo Calcio in a Serie A encounter. Juventus, now under the guidance of new head coach Luciano Spalletti [1], has had a solid start to their campaign, sitting 8th in the league with 7 points from three matches. Their recent form includes a 1-1 draw against AC Milan, where Federico Gatti scored and Teun Koopmeiners provided an assist [2]. They also secured wins against Parma Calcio 1913 and Frosinone Calcio. The team has seen some significant transfer activity, with Randal Kolo Muani, Guglielmo Vicario, and Jhon Lucumí arriving [3].
Sassuolo, currently 11th with 4 points, faces a challenging fixture, compounded by a significant injury crisis. Darryl Bakola, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Daniel Boloca, Fali Candé, and Ismael Koné are all sidelined [4]. Additionally, Cristian Volpato is doubtful due to a suspected hamstring strain and potential international suspension [4], [5]. Vasilije Adzic is available, offering some relief [6]. Their recent form includes a 2-2 draw against Bologna FC 1909 and a 2-1 victory over Torino FC, but also a 1-2 loss to Atalanta BC.
Team News and Form
Juventus comes into this match with a relatively healthy squad, though Khéphren Thuram was left out of the Serie A squad list following surgery [7]. Weston McKennie has undergone successful surgery and is fit [8]. Francisco Conceição hit the post in a recent match, indicating his involvement [9]. Kerim Alajbegović is nominated for the Best Young Player award [10]. Augusto Owusu and Daniele Rugani are expected to be on the bench [11].
Sassuolo’s injury woes are a major concern, with multiple key players out. Domenico Berardi has had to play more than anticipated due to these absences [4]. The team’s coach, Alberto Aquilani, will need to navigate these challenges to field a competitive side. The sheer number of absentees for Sassuolo is noted as a significant factor [6].
Head-to-Head and Predictions
The recent head-to-head record between these two teams shows a mixed bag. Their last encounter in March 2026 resulted in a 1-1 draw, while Juventus secured a dominant 3-0 away victory in January 2026. This history suggests that Juventus has the capability to perform well against Sassuolo, especially on the road.
Prediction models are heavily leaning towards an away win for Juventus. The baseline model predicts a 0-1 away win, with Juventus having a 45.9% chance of victory. Other models, such as Opus, Kimi-Cool, Gemini-Flash, and Deep-Thinker, all forecast a 0-2 or 1-2 away win, with probabilities ranging from 55% to 70% for Juventus. These predictions are largely influenced by Juventus’ strong defensive record (1 goal conceded in 3 matches) and Sassuolo’s extensive list of injured players. The consensus is that Juventus’ superior squad depth and current form will be too much for the depleted Sassuolo side.
What it means
Juventus enters this match in 8th position in Serie A, having accumulated 7 points from 3 games with a form of DWW. They have scored 4 goals and conceded only 1. A win against Sassuolo would allow them to climb further up the table and solidify their strong start to the season. Their next fixture is against Genoa, for which predict.game forecasts a 2-0 home win. Sassuolo, currently 11th with 4 points from 3 games (form DWL), has scored 5 goals and conceded 5. A victory would provide a much-needed boost and help them distance themselves from the lower half of the table. Their next match is away against Udinese, with predict.game forecasting a 1-1 draw.
Sources
- Football Italia: Former Inter coach Stramaccioni hails Milan’s Amorim as ‘a coach with clear ideas’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Amorim: ‘Milan didn’t deserve to win, or Juventus didn’t deserve to lose’ football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Carnevali responsible as Juventus finances show improvement football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Serie A | Bologna 2-2 Sassuolo: Dovbyk scrapes first point in fiery derby football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Volpato’s Australia career in doubt after positive cocaine test football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Today’s Papers – Crazy Como idea, Allegri crucified football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Report Juventus prefer academy product over new signing amid injury crisis football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Today’s Papers – Big Inter gifts, Juventus in trouble football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Today’s Papers – Juventus vs. Milan, too little, Gatti saves Spalletti football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Ballon d’Or: Lautaro Martinez only Serie A player nominated, no Dimarco football-italia.net ↩
- Football Italia: Juventus to field just one Italian player in the next game amid injury crisis football-italia.net ↩