Juventus' Issues Resurface for Massimiliano Allegri in Loss to Sassuolo

Travelling to Reggio Emilia on Wednesday evening, Juventus hoped to continue their recent unbeaten run against an impressive-looking Sassuolo. The Neroverdi entered the midweek round sitting sixth in Serie A, three points ahead of the visitors, who were themselves occupying 12th place.

In a season that has been punctuated with poor performances, the Turin giants would capitulate once again, losing 1-0 in a match they never looked like winning. Nicola Sansone curled home an unstoppable free-kick for the only goal of the game, but that aside, this was a disjointed display from the reigning champions.

Massimiliano Allegri must shoulder some of the responsibility for that lack of cohesion. While the Juve boss has clearly settled on a formation, he was guilty of making too many changes ahead of this encounter, robbing his players of the continuity they so desperately need.

Claudio Marchisio skipped the game with flu-like symptoms, per Football Italia, making the decision to also rest Sami Khedira almost unthinkable. The Bianconeri have yet to lose with the Germany international in the side, and his importance to the team was further highlighted by his absence here.

Meanwhile, bringing in both Stefano Sturaro and Mario Lemina exposed their limitations, the midfield duo failing to provide any attacking threat or protect the defence. Both men lost possession countless times, either through a lack of awareness or intelligence in distribution, and they proved they should not be fielded together.

Allegri insisted his squad “has enough strength in depth to do better,” as he spoke to reporters after the game (h/t Football Italia), and the regulars who did remain in the starting XI must join the coach in accepting blame. Far too many established stars failed to deliver once again, with perhaps Giorgio Chiellini and Paul Pogba among the chief culprits at the Mapei Stadium.

The veteran defender was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card when he hauled down Domenico Berardi after just four minutes yet managed to talk his way into the book for protesting his innocence.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Chiellini clattered into the same player shortly before half-time, leaving referee Andrea Gervasoni little choice but to send him off. Reduced to 10 men, the Bianconeri needed somebody to step up, yet Pogba would continue the same poor form that has blighted his campaign.

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Misplacing passes or losing the ball when trying to take on too many defenders, the Frenchman was frustrating to watch, lacking the decisive touches that were previously a hallmark of his game.

The game petered out in the second half, but the collective failure of the visitors clearly angered captain Gigi Buffon, who lambasted their showing to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle:

"

We all played badly. The first half was simply unacceptable. I am stunned, as I am the captain and it hurts my soul to see my team dominated like that, to see my team not realise how important this game is and what attitude to take.

There was also too much arguing with the referee. Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice.

"

They have the perfect chance to make amends on Saturday, with the Turin derby taking place at Juventus Stadium. The Bianconeri needed nothing less than a win over their cross-town rivals in order to get back on track.