Sassuolo vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie a Game

With a two-week international break behind them, Juventus returned to domestic action with a trip to the league’s bottom side, Sassuolo.

Despite having failed to win a single game in 2014-15, the Emilia-Romagna minnows are a widely respected club, boasting some of the peninsula’s finest young talents.

The Bianconeri knew they also faced a tricky midweek trip to Greece just four days after the encounter, Olympiacos awaiting the Italian champions on Wednesday. Combined with the short preparation time, due to the national-team commitments of many players, Massimiliano Allegri knew his team selection would play a major role.

Finding a balance between Serie A and the Champions League has proven to be beyond the club in recent seasons, and Juventus will be hoping to make a much better impression in Europe this term. For Turin’s grand Old Lady, however, the demand is to record victories consistently in every competition, and as such, Saturday's draw will seem like a failure.

Over the following pages is a look at the winners and losers from this 1-1 stalemate, highlighting the best and worst performances at the Mapei Stadium on Saturday.

Winner: Paul Pogba (Juventus)

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

The Juventus goalscorer was Paul Pogba, the French midfielder finding an equaliser with yet another outside-of-the-box strike. As well as salvaging a point in difficult circumstances for the Bianconeri, the goal was also his first of the campaign.

According to the club's official Twitter account, the goal was the 21-year-old's 13th league goal for the Turin giants and eighth from long range.

Winner: Simone Zaza (Sassuolo)

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

As discussed in the preview for this encounter, there were a number of Sassuolo players who came into the match with a point to prove. One of the major names among them was Italy international Simone Zaza, the 23-year-old for whom Juventus retain a right-to-buy clause.

Having made his international debut earlier this season, Zaza's reputation has grown exponentially, and his goal against the Serie A champions will only serve to increase his profile. It was his second goal of the campaign and earned a vital point for his struggling side.

Loser: Simone Padoin (Juventus)

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

While it may seem harsh to single out an unused substitute, Simone Padoin did himself no favours at the Mapei Stadium on Saturday. The Juventus midfielder was sent off from the bench, his level of dissent deemed intolerable by the match officials.

According to stats site WhoScored.com, the 30-year-old has just 105 minutes to his name so far this term and will now serve a ban. That will see him unable to help the Bianconeri in the coming weeks, a time when Allegri needs every player in order to keep his side fresh as they try to cope with the demands of Serie A and Champions League action.

Winner: Eusebio Di Francesco (Sassuolo)

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press

Without a win from their opening six fixtures, Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco could be forgiven for feeling under a little bit of pressure going into the game with Juventus. While that winless streak may have continued on Saturday, overseeing the first side to take points from the reigning champions in the league this season will have undoubtedly eased the tension.

The 45-year-old should be hugely proud of the performance from his players, who were reshuffled into an unfamiliar 3-4-3 formation to which they adapted well.