Prediction: Juventus vs Sassuolo

Verdict: Home win and both teams to score

Best odds: 9/4

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

With the objective of narrowing the gap to just two points from the top spot in Serie A, Juventus is set to host Sassuolo in Turin on Tuesday evening.

The Bianconeri may be on a five-game winning streak and comfortably advancing to the Coppa Italia semi-finals, but Sassuolo remains the only team that has managed to defeat them in the current season.

Juventus

Since their unexpected 4-2 defeat at Sassuolo’s Mapei Stadium in September, Juventus have been on an impressive run, notching 11 league wins in 14 subsequent matches, making it the best performance in Serie A during that period.

Accumulating 36 points from those matches, Juventus sit four points ahead of third-place AC Milan, who beat Roma on Sunday evening. The Bianconeri secured an overall total of 46 points in the first half of the season after a late win against 10-man Salernitana last week.

Historically, Juventus have clinched the Scudetto on the last five occasions they performed this well at the halfway mark. A recent stoppage-time goal from Dusan Vlahovic at Stadio Arechi kept them in contention for a potential domestic double, following a 6-1 victory over the same opponents in the Coppa Italia just three days earlier. Juventus continued their successful cup campaign by defeating Frosinone 4-0 on Thursday and advancing to the semi-finals.

With a hat-trick from Arkadiusz Milik and a goal from Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, Juventus moved a step closer to securing the Coppa Italia for the 15th time, setting up a clash against Lazio next.

However, Max Allegri’s focus will now shift to narrowing the gap with Inter, who moved five points clear on Saturday. With a game in hand, Juventus could potentially go top by defeating Lecce at the end of the week while Inter participate in the Supercoppa Italiana.

Allegri’s team has been solid defensively, conceding only eight goals in the last 16 matches at their Turin headquarters. Despite winning eight out of 10 home matches against Sassuolo, memories of the reverse fixture’s mistakes will serve as a warning against complacency.

Team News

Allegri is hopeful of having Adrien Rabiot back for this game, after the France international missed the Coppa match last week with a thigh injury. His return would certainly be timely, given that Weston McKennie is suspended.

With Federico Gatti serving a one-match ban, recently returned Alex Sandro is in contention with Daniele Rugani for a spot in the hosts’ back three.

Federico Chiesa may overcome a knee injury to make the bench, while Moise Kean is unavailable due to a shin problem. Dusan Vlahovic, who found the net in every home game against Sassuolo so far, is likely to partner Kenan Yildiz upfront ahead of Milik.

Sassuolo

After their remarkable victory over Juventus in September, Sassuolo have established a notable record against the Bianconeri, winning three of their last five league matches against them, including the last two encounters. Prior to this run, Sassuolo had managed just one win in the previous 16 matches against Juventus, losing 12.

Andrea Pinamonti, who scored in their previous victory over Juventus, found the net again in their recent match against Fiorentina. The Neroverdi halted Fiorentina’s fine run of form, securing three crucial points in their bid to move further away from the relegation zone. Sassuolo, finally keeping their first clean sheet of the season, scored from their only shot on target and had a slim share of possession.

Under the guidance of Alessio Dionisi, Sassuolo have achieved three of their five league wins against top-four contenders – Inter, Juventus, and Fiorentina. With Pinamonti and inspirational winger Domenico Berardi in the lineup, they’ve proven to be a challenging opponent for those considered top teams in Serie A.

While Dionisi may not be entirely content with the first half of the season, Sassuolo have accumulated two more points than they did at this stage last year. Celebrating their 400th Serie A fixture, another upset against Juventus would undoubtedly boost morale for the challenges ahead.

Team News

Marcus Pedersen and Mattia Viti are expected to feature as full-backs for Sassuolo due to the unavailability of Jeremy Toljan (hamstring) and Matias Vina (knee) because of injuries. Additionally, midfield duo Pedro Obiang and Uros Racic are ruled out.

Upfront, last week’s matchwinner Andrea Pinamonti is likely to be supported by Berardi and Armand Lauriente. Notably, Lauriente scored his only league goal this season in the reverse fixture in September, and since then, he has attempted 29 shots without finding the back of the net again.

Conclusion

Sassuolo have a fine record of scoring goals away from home, but if Juventus intend to keep up with Inter at the top of the table, games like this simply must yield three points for them.

Verdict: Home win and both teams to score

Best odds: 9/4

Bookmaker: Olympusbet