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Juventus are only three games into their Serie A campaign and already the injury list is growing, the attack is misfiring, and the pressure is quietly building on Luciano Spalletti. A trip to the Mapei Stadium is the last thing they need right now. Sassuolo are not the sleeping giant that some clubs in Serie A represent but Alberto Aquilani has them playing with genuine confidence and a point to prove. This one has more about it than a quick glance at the table might suggest.
Sassuolo came within seconds of beating Bologna in an Emilian derby last time out, only for a stoppage time equaliser to deny them what would have been a brilliant result. Juventus meanwhile needed a Federico Gatti header from the bench to salvage a draw against AC Milan. Two clubs heading in opposite directions in terms of mood, but both with something to prove on Sunday evening. The fixture has needle, it has stakes, and it sets up as one of the more intriguing games of the weekend.
Sassuolo host Juventus at the Mapei Stadium on Sunday 13th September 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45pm. The match is part of the Serie A matchday four schedule, rounding off the weekend’s top flight action in Italy.
Juventus are dealing with a genuinely brutal injury situation right now. Spalletti is already without some of his most important players and the squad depth is being tested hard before the Europa League has even started. Here is the full picture heading into Sunday:
Sassuolo also have a few men missing but their situation is considerably more manageable. Fali Cande, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Ismael Kone are longer term absentees, while Sebastian Walukiewicz, Daniel Boloca and Cristian Volpato are also out. Aquilani’s first choice shape is otherwise fairly settled and that stability could be a real advantage here.
Spalletti faces a genuine selection headache, not just because of who is missing but because of the Europa League fixture against NEC Nijmegen coming up in midweek. Does he rotate to protect legs, or does he throw everything at this one? The balance of the midfield without Locatelli and Thuram is a significant concern, and the attack continues to look for its first real spark of the season with Woltemade and Kolo Muani both yet to open their accounts.
For Sassuolo, the headline name is Domenico Berardi, a player who has flirted with a Juventus move for years and will relish the chance to remind everyone of his quality against them. Armand Lauriente has been getting into good positions without finding the net, which suggests the chances are coming even if the end product is frustrating. Vasilije Adzic, on loan from Juventus, adds a fascinating subplot having just scored his first league goal of the season against Bologna.
Juventus have seven points from three league games, which on paper looks perfectly solid. Wins over Frosinone and Parma got the season underway, and then that late Gatti header earned a point at the San Siro. But scratch the surface and the concern is real. Fifty five attempts in three games and only four goals to show for it. That is a conversion rate that will alarm Spalletti, especially when his new forwards are still waiting for their first goals and he is having to use a centre back as an emergency striker.
Sassuolo’s form across all competitions has been genuinely encouraging. They dispatched Cesena in the cup, beat Torino in the league for their first top flight win under Aquilani, knocked out Frosinone on penalties in the Coppa Italia, and then went to Bologna and led in a derby before being pegged back in added time. That is three wins from four games and a real sense of belief building at the Mapei Stadium. Losing to Atalanta was no disgrace and the overall trajectory looks positive. Aquilani has clearly had an impact quickly.
What stands out with Sassuolo is the blend Aquilani is working with. There is experienced quality in Berardi and Nemanja Matic alongside younger players who are hungry and developing. It is a combination that can give teams problems on their own patch, particularly when the visitors are as depleted as Juventus currently are. The Neroverdi’s confidence going into this one should not be underestimated.
Juventus have historically dominated this fixture and their average of 2.3 goals per game against Sassuolo in Serie A tells you they tend to find the net against this opposition. The 3-0 win at the Mapei Stadium back in January is recent evidence that Spalletti’s side can be clinical here when things click. But there is a flipside worth paying attention to: Sassuolo held Juventus to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture just weeks after that hammering, and they have won two of the last three meetings on home soil. Juventus should not expect this to be straightforward just because the head to head overall leans their way.
The Mapei Stadium has proven to be a tricky venue for the Bianconeri in recent history and Sassuolo know how to make it uncomfortable. When they are well organised and playing with energy at home, they are a real handful. A Juve side missing key players and one eye potentially on midweek Europe could find that out again here.
Juventus are the better squad on paper and should still edge this, but the injury situation and the attacking struggles make them much more vulnerable than usual. Sassuolo at home, full of confidence, with Berardi pulling the strings, are capable of causing problems. The value here is not in backing Juve to cruise. It is in looking at a game that could be tighter than expected, with goals at both ends a real possibility.
Yes. Sassuolo have the attacking quality in Berardi and Lauriente to test a Juve defence that, while solid in structure, is operating without several key personnel. Meanwhile Juventus should find something going forward even against a decent Sassuolo backline, particularly if Conceicao or Gonzalez get into their stride. BTTS looks a strong call here.
Over 2.5 goals. Juventus’s head to head record against Sassuolo is productive, their 2.3 goals per game average in this fixture suggests goals tend to flow, and both teams have reasons to attack here. Three or more goals feels more likely than a tight, low scoring slog.
2-1 to Juventus. The Bianconeri have enough to edge this despite their problems, but Sassuolo will get on the scoresheet and make it uncomfortable. A one goal margin, with Juve nicking it late or through a moment of individual quality, feels like the most realistic outcome.
Domenico Berardi. He knows this fixture intimately, he is a player who saves his biggest performances for the biggest occasions, and he has been a consistent threat at the Mapei Stadium for years. With Juventus stretched in midfield and their backline potentially under pressure, Berardi getting on the ball in dangerous areas and finding a way through is a very realistic prospect. He is the standout pick here.
Over 9.5 corners. Juventus will be pushing forward looking for goals given their struggles in front of goal, while Sassuolo are a team that build pressure in waves on home turf. Expect both sides to be winning corners regularly and the total to climb comfortably into double figures.
Over 3.5 cards. There is real competitive edge to this fixture and Sassuolo will need to be physical to keep Juve at bay. With a depleted Juventus side that will need to fight for every inch, and the pressure Aquilani’s men will apply at home, referee interventions should come regularly. Both teams have shown they are not shy about putting a foot in and a card heavy game feels likely.
Combine both teams to score, over 2.5 goals and Domenico Berardi to score anytime. Berardi is the most likely source of a Sassuolo goal given his reading of this fixture and his current form, the head to head record points firmly toward a multi goal game, and Juve’s attacking struggles combined with Sassuolo’s confidence at home make a blank from the hosts very unlikely. Those three selections build into a logical, well reasoned single bet.
Juventus have too much quality in their squad to lose this, even in their current injury ravaged state. Bremer and the back four should provide enough of a platform, and players like Koopmeiners and Conceicao have the individual ability to unlock a Sassuolo defence that, while organised, is not among Serie A’s elite. Spalletti will want three points before the European campaign opens and that need alone should focus minds.
But Sassuolo will make them work for it. Aquilani has instilled belief quickly, the home crowd will be up for this, and Berardi on his day is the kind of player who can decide a match at this level. Expect a competitive, goal laden game that Juve edge by the finest of margins. Predicted score: Sassuolo 1-2 Juventus.