Ace Football previews the Serie A match between Juventus and Sassuolo, and offers the latest stats, betting tips, and team news.
Fifth meets sixth as Juventus welcome high-flyers Sassuolo to the Allianz Stadium in Turin for another Serie A match on Sunday night.
One place and one point are all that separate the two clubs in the league standings. To nobody’s surprise, Juventus are ahead in fifth-place on 30 points from 15 games. Sassuolo, on the other hand, have played one more match in an otherwise solid sixth.
This fixture usually results in a goal-laden affair, having seen 31 goals in the last 10 games alone. Both sides shared the spoils in their meetings last season. After a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty salvaged a 2-2 draw in Turin in December 2019, Juventus had to settle for a 3-3 draw in their most recent encounter with Sassuolo last July.
Juventus Form & Stats
Andrea Pirlo’s men mercilessly shattered AC Milan’s unbeaten record last Wednesday to claim a 3-1 victory at the San Siro. Federico Chiesa’s double and a Weston McKennie goal sealed all three points.
The victory leaves Juventus 10 points behind Serie A leaders Milan in fifth, but with two games in hand. Therefore, theoretically at least, they can close the gap to four points by beating Sassuolo and winning their other match against Napoli.
Pulling one over Milan, however, will count for little unless Juventus can build on it. The hosts have been in superb form, having won 11 of their last 15 games (D3 L1) in all competitions, but are still liable to a slight slip-up – as proven by the 3-0 home loss against Fiorentina on December 22.
Although the Bianconeri have only lost one of their last 14 encounters with Sassuolo. And with a certain Ronaldo and Chiesa in top form, goals are expected over at the Allianz Stadium.
Key Team Stats
- Won 11 of their last 15 games in all competitions (D3 L1).
- Lost only 1 of their last 14 league games against Sassuolo (W10 D3).
- Over 2.5 goals in their last 6 league games against Sassuolo.
- Best defensive record in the league (15 goals conceded).
- Kept just 3 clean sheets in 15 league games.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has made 21 goal contributions in only 16 games across all competitions (18 goals, 3 assists).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 4 goals in 4 league games against Sassuolo.
- Paulo Dybala is just 2 goals shy of reaching the 100 goal mark for Juventus.
- Federico Chiesa has scored 3 goals in his last 2 league games.
Sassuolo Form & Stats
Two defeats in four games have caused Sassuolo to slip out of the top-four and down to sixth in the league standings ahead of their visit to Turin.
The only significant difference between them and Juventus, who sit a point ahead in fifth, is their defensive records. Sassuolo have conceded 23 goals so far, while their opponents boast a league-best 15 conceded goals in comparison. Otherwise, there isn’t much to separate them in the Serie A table.
The Neroverdi began 2021 on a disastrous note by losing 5-1 to Atalanta in their first game back from the winter break. However, they recovered to defeat a struggling Genoa 2-1 last Wednesday. Former Chelsea man Jeremie Boga and Giacomo Raspadori were the goalscorers.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side can make a bit of history on Sunday, though. Beating Juventus would take their tally up to 32 points, which would break the club record for the best start to a Serie A campaign set in 2015/16 with 31 points after 19 games – and they would still have two games to spare.
Despite the challenge awaiting in Turin, Sassuolo tend to perform strongly on the road. The visitors have won five of their eight away games (D2 L1) this season, leaving them with the league’s third-best record overall. But the loss of top-scorer Domenico Berardi to a thigh injury is a big blow.
Key Team Stats
- Lost 2 of their last 4 league games (W2).
- Over 2.5 goals scored in their last 4 league games.
- Winless in their last 7 games against Juventus (W5 D2).
- Won 5 of their 8 away league games (D2 L1).
- Domenico Berardi has made 11 goal contributions (7 goals, 4 assists) in 15 league games.
- Francesco Caputo has made 10 goal contributions (6 goals, 4 assists) in 11 league games.
- BTTS in each of their last 5 league games.
Team News
Juventus
Out: Juan Cuadrado, Alex Sandro, Matthijs de Ligt (COVID-19).
Doubts: Alvaro Morata.
Sassuolo
Out: Domenico Berardi, Federico Ricci, Filippo Romagna, Mehdi Bourabia, Lukas Haraslin.
Doubts: N/A.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Serie A
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in Serie A.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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