Aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the Serie A season, Juventus visit struggling Sassuolo on Saturday evening.
The Bianconeri travel to Reggio Emilia after posting three wins from their first four league games, but the hosts have picked up just three points to date.
Match preview
© Reuters
Taking maximum points against one of their likely top-four rivals last week, Juventus saw off the challenge of Lazio in Turin, winning 3-1 largely thanks to their new-look forward partnership.
Injuries and lacklustre form kept Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic apart last term, as Juve often toiled fruitlessly in front of goal, but both were on the scoresheet against Maurizio Sarri's side and Vlahovic has now scored four goals in his first four league matches for a second year running.
After shouldering some of the blame for his club's calamitous 2022-23 campaign, which ultimately ended without a place in European competition, head coach Max Allegri has now led his men to a tally of 10 points from a possible 12 this season , and they remain unbeaten.
Memories of off-field failings and a dismal playing style seem to be fading, and only Scudetto favourites Inter sit above Juventus in the Serie A standings.
Since their top-flight return in 2007, following another self-made crisis, it is only the fifth time that the Bianconeri have scored at least nine goals in their first four matches, and with his front two on top form, Allegri may expect such potency to continue this weekend, when his team meet one of Italy's leakiest defences.
Juve have already won both of their first two away games without conceding any goals - against Udinese and Empoli - so a trip to the Mapei Stadium should certainly hold no fears.
© Reuters
Having lost six times in 10 Serie A home games against Juventus to date, winning only twice, Sassuolo's record against Saturday's opponents makes for fairly grim reading.
However, under current coach Alessio Dionisi, the Neroverdi have recently recorded two wins from the clubs' last four league meetings - one more than in the previous 16.
The most recent encounter, a 1-0 success at the Mapei Stadium in April, brought one of just three victories in Sassuolo's last 15 Serie A fixtures stretching back to the tail-end of last season, leaving Dionisi under pressure to turn things around.
Already beaten by Napoli and Atalanta without registering a goal, before a 3-1 defeat of Hellas Verona got them off the mark just before the international break, Sassuolo continued their worst run of away results since 2019 by suffering a 4-2 loss at Frosinone last week.
The Emilian outfit dominated the first half at Stadio Benito Stirpe, with Andrea Pinamonti bagging a brace before his side conceded from a penalty just ahead of the interval.
A second-half collapse, though, allowed their promoted hosts to send them home pointless - a spectacular double from former Neroverdi midfielder Luca Mazzitelli only serving to rub more salt into the wound.
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- W
- L
- W
- D
- W
- W
Team News
© Reuters
After American midfielder Weston McKennie made an impressive impact at wing-back last weekend, Max Allegri may opt to keep his wide men the same in Sassuolo, with Filip Kostic beating Andrea Cambiaso to a place on the left flank.
Alex Sandro and Mattia De Sciglio are unavailable due to injury - and Paul Pogba still awaits the outcome of his doping case - but Juventus should travel to Reggio Emilia with an otherwise full squad.
Following a week's rest and time on the training field - one of the few advantages of being banned from UEFA competition - Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa should be fit and firing to continue their double act up front.
Vlahovic could now become only the fifth Juve player in the last 40 years to reach at least five goals after the first five rounds, while Chiesa has made his best scoring start in Serie A: three goals in the first four matchdays.
By contrast, Sassuolo's main attacking threat, Domenico Berardi, has scored only once in 1025 minutes (12 appearances) against Juventus in the Italian top flight - and none from open play.
Long-term absentee Agustin Alvarez is still out of action, while injured goalkeeper Andrea Consigli faces a race against time to return for Saturday's game; his deputy Alessio Cragno remains on standby.
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Cragno; Toljan, Erlic, Tressoldi, Vina; Boloca, Henrique; Berardi, Bajrami, Lauriente; Pinamonti
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; McKennie, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Vlahovic
We say: Sassuolo 1-2 Juventus
A dire record against Juventus and some slipshod defending so far this season could set Sassuolo up for a fourth loss from five to start the Serie A season. Juve have shown signs of the synchronicity missing since their last Scudetto win, and they are proving particularly effective away from home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
