Sassuolo vs. Juventus: Key Issues That Will Shape Serie A Game
Juventus travel to Sassuolo on Saturday, hoping for a sixth straight league win to start 2014-15 on their return to domestic action.
The controversial 3-2 triumph over Roma before the international break saw the Bianconeri open up a three-point lead atop Serie A, and the reigning champions will certainly look to maintain that cushion.
Indeed, with the Giallorossi facing Chievo earlier in the day, Massimiliano Allegri and his players will expect nothing less than victory against the division’s bottom club.
Along with Palermo, the minnows are the only side yet to record a win, registering three defeats and three draws so far this term.
Coach Eusebio Di Francesco is a widely respected tactician, and he has an array of exciting, young attacking talent at his disposal.
Over the following pages is a look at the factors most likely to influence the result, with a number of intriguing matchups to monitor closely over the course of this game.
Juventus-owned players with a point to prove
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The percentage of the Sassuolo squad with ties to the club lining up opposite them is notable, to say the least. Sporting director Giovanni Rossi is the former head of the Juventus youth sector, and he has used that connection to bring in a number of players he has previously worked with.
A member of the side which won the 2009 Viareggio Tournament, the Bianconeri sold defender Lorenzo Ariaudo to Cagliari three years ago, while midfielder Raman Chibsah was released last summer. The latter never represented the Turin giants in a competitive fixture, while his Sassuolo team-mate managed just three senior appearances.
Two Neroverde players who hope to have a far greater impact are Simone Zaza and Domenico Berardi, both of whom harbour ideas of playing for Juventus. The former ended his co-ownership deal with the Bianconeri this summer, but they retain a buy-back option for the next two years, per Football Italia.
Meanwhile, Berardi’s registration remains shared between the two clubs, and the performances of both men will be key to Sassuolo’s chances of a result.
Sassuolo’s attack vs. Injury-hit Juventus defence
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Aiming to stop Sassuolo’s gifted young attack will be a Juventus defence which could face major issues.
Martin Caceres has joined Andrea Barzagli on the injury list. That has robbed Allegri of both his options on the right of the back three, but he insists that is not a problem, speaking highly of the other players available to him among the squad.
“Ogbonna has done very well,” the coach told Corriere della Sera on Wednesday (h/t Football Italia). “We will recover Marrone, and on the edge Lichtsteiner can be a third.”
Despite a high turnover of players in defence this term, only Roma have scored against the Bianconeri this season, and they will hope to record their sixth clean sheet of the campaign on Saturday.
Allegri’s Champions League selection dilemma
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As well as a potential headache in defence, Allegri has the added issue of a crowded fixture list to contend with.
Arturo Vidal and a number of other players have faced long journeys over the international break, and the Bianconeri also have a difficult-looking Champions League tie in midweek.
All four teams in Group A sit on three points, but while Atletico Madrid will welcome Malmo to the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday, Juventus travel to Greece to meet Olympiakos.
Resting players for that fixture is an important consideration, but whatever the XI players selected on Saturday, the form of Roma demands Juve take maximum points.
Anything less than a victory would likely see Rudi Garcia’s men wipe out their deficit and see the reigning champions come under intense scrutiny. It is a difficult balance, but one the Turin club know they must find, with Sassuolo the latest challenge in the quest for a fourth consecutive title.
