Sassuolo-Juve 1-2, goals from Raspadori, Dybala and Kean

Juve, after a painful first half and a more balanced recovery, found the 2-1 goal at the Mapei Stadium in the 88th minute with Kean, who took over from Morata in the 67th minute. The bianconeri thus succeeded in the double result of approaching third place, reaching one point from Napoli, and of extending over Rome, Fiorentina and Lazio, returning from fresh defeats.

Sassuolo’s well-deserved advantage comes from Raspadori, betrothed Juventus, the draw rewards the violent left with which Dybala perhaps unloads his anger from (almost) ex. It is his goal no. 114 in black and white, now Baggio is only one goal away. Raspadori, with his tenth goal of the season, becomes the first Italian born in 2000 to go in double figures in a single Serie A tournament.

Present & absent

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Juve have to deal with two last-minute or almost forfeits: Cuadrado stops for a problem with his left adductor, De Ligt for a fatigue that forces him to the bench. In the field, therefore, Rugani in the middle and De Sciglio on the right, with Juve arranged on a 4-4-2 without even Vlahovic, for the second time on the bench at the start, and with the couple Danilo-Zakaria in the middle of the field. Dionisi responds with the expected 4-2-3-1, with the observed special Raspadori behind Scamacca as the black-green offensive terminal. He is a Sassuolo who moves smoothly, in a harmonious and organized manner, and already after 10 ‘he could pass with Raspadori who makes his way through the rather loose jerseys of the Juventus defense, but his right-footed one from the edge does not find the mirror. After seven minutes, Frattesi headed slightly high on a corner from Berardi, then Szczesny took it upon himself to stop a great right-foot from Berardi himself.

In the first half a lot of Sassuolo and a little Juve

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In short, there is a lot of Sassuolo on the field and very little Juve: Allegri’s team struggles to restart and goes into difficulty in the defensive phase, against a Sassuolo who plays across the board, widens and verticalizes, presses and reaches the shot with great frequency. Aggressiveness, mobility, dribble, speed: Dionisi’s team builds and finalizes, it is a machine tested and created to hit, in a merciless confrontation with Allegri’s eleven on the level of play but also of individualities. Morata struggles but finds neither space nor quality, Dybala evaporates in the black-green density, Rabiot is dispersed and Bernardeschi is perhaps conditioned by an initial blow. Vlahovic warms up for a long time but does not enter. At 27 ‘the first Juventus opportunity, with Dybala hitting Frattesi, before Szczesny again says no to Scamacca.

Dybala responds to Raspadori …

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Then the goals also arrive: the first is from Sassuolo in the 39th minute, signed by Raspadori. Valuable action, with a web of quick and precise touches until a heel strike by Berardi frees the shooting partner, in the open area: for Raspadori it is the tenth goal, for the colleague the 12th assist. The black-green advantage was in the air as much as Juve’s draw arrived unexpectedly: in the 45th minute it was Dybala who hit, on an assist from Zakaria, with a violent left-footed shot. Then Morata headed to the bottom, when the neroverdi protests still did not subside due to an alleged foul by Morata on Kyriakopulos in the action of the goal.

… then Kean takes care of it

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The second half opened with a great save by Councils on a header from Morata, then, in the 55th minute, Chiellini and Vlahovic took the place of Rugani and Dybala. The script follows that of the first half, with Sassuolo playing the game and Juve attentive in the closures, and now also growing in the counterattack and conclusions. Morata still close to scoring in the 61st minute, but his low shot in the turn ended out, as happens to Kyriakopulos shortly after. In the 67th minute, Kean took the place of a tired Morata and immediately committed to Consiglio: in short, the game remained on a rather slippery balance axis. Djuricic and Defrel also enter, but Kean decides the match, at minute 88, who beats Consiglio with his left foot. And Juve takes a giant step forward in the direction of the Champions League.