Juventus vs Sassuolo
By the time Juventus host Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday afternoon, the reigning champions could be 10 points from the summit.
But with two games in hand and 23 to play, there is a very long way to go. And having suffered a poor run at the end of last year, Juve head coach Andrea Pirlo will be feeling a little more comfortable.
I Bianconeri drifted away from the top of the table at the end of 2020. But so far, the Old Lady’s Serie A 2021 results have been back to normal.
Two impressive wins have the Turin fans dreaming again, and a win over Sassuolo at the weekend will send shivers down the spines of their rivals.
The visitors aren’t showing up just to make up the numbers though, and far from it.
Having finished eighth in the 2019/20 season, Roberto De Zerbi has guided I Neroverdi to fifth place and they have a European spot in their sights.
Talking Points
Chiesa coming good for Juve
I Bianconeri had a huge game in midweek — away to leaders Milan — and a 3-1 victory saw the Serie A 2021 betting odds on Juventus winning the Scudetto for a record 10th successive time slashed to around 3.00 and they have been installed as second-favourites behind Inter.
The form of Federico Chiesa is beginning to excite Juventus fans after his switch from Fiorentina started with a series of modest performances.
But the Italy winger is really starting to thrive in the black and white of Juve and put in a man-of-the-match effort to beat I Rossoneri.
He scored a superb double, with the second goal off of a great run and brilliant finish to make it 2-1 before American midfielder Weston McKennie climbed off the bench to make the points safe.
Juventus’ defeat at home to Fiorentina in the last game of 2020 was a real body blow to the Old Lady but she has responded with a convincing 4-1 victory over Udinese and the big win against Milan.
Chiesa was on target against Udinese too, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace to take his Juventus tally to 87.
Sassuolo Italian to the core
The visitors come into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Genoa, a match they dominated with 64-per cent possession and 17 shots to seven.
With Napoli losing at home to Spezia, the three points took Sassuolo up to fourth place only to be overtaken by Juventus after the champions beat the league leaders.
Manuel Locatelli set up Jeremie Boga for the opener and then the Ivory Coast midfielder turned provider to cross for Giacomo Raspadori to head home the winner.
De Zerbi has built a team with an Italian core running through it, winning plaudits from football fans throughout the country.
He is getting the best from 26-year-old striker Domenico Berardi, who has scored seven goals this season and is vying for an Azzurri place along with the likes of Chiesa.
Meanwhile, his strike partner Francesco Caputo could also be in contention for an international call up as he’s added six goals.
22-year-old Locatelli is developing into an excellent midfielder and has been on the Old Lady’s radar. But valued at 40-M Euros, he’s likely to stay at Sassuolo during the January window.
De Zerbi has been handed a selection dilemma by attacking midfielder Hamed Traore who put in an eye-catching performance in a recent 3-2 victory over Sampdoria.
But in their last game on the road, I Neroverdi took a 5-1 thumping at the hands of free-scoring Atalanta and the boss will be equally focussed on his backline led by Gian Marco Ferrari and protected by skipper Francesco Magnanelli, who sits just in front of the back four.
History
The head-to-head meetings are heavily in favour of the hosts. I Bianconeri have won 10 of the 14 games in all competitions since 2013, with Sassuolo winning just once and sharing the points on three occasions.
Both games last season were drawn.
An all-action clash ended 3-3 in July when Sassuolo were at home, as Berardi and Caputo were both on target to put the hosts in charge until Alex Sandro equalised for the Old Lady. Then the corresponding fixture at the Allianz Arena ended 2-2.
Juve are unbeaten at home against Sassuolo in seven meetings.
Betting Tip
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Juventus vs Sassuolo | Juventus Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.16 |
| January 11, 03:45 (GMT+8) |
We’re backing Juventus to win this game with odds of 1.40 at SBOTOP. But if you fancy a surprise result, then Sassuolo is at 7.34 and the draw at 4.26.
I Neroverdi have plenty to offer but the Old Lady can’t afford many slip-ups between now and May and she has a steely determination, not to mention a team running into form.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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