Juventus have suffered their first defeat of the new Serie A season. The Bianconeri lost 3-2 to Sassuolo in a spectacular finale at the Mapei Stadium, and the decisive man was none other than a Juventus player out on loan – Vasilije Adžić.
The Montenegro international scored the winner for Sassuolo with practically the last kick of the match, in a game in which Juventus twice managed to come back thanks to Edon Zhegrova.
JUVENTUS STARTED BETTER, NICO HIT THE BAR
Juventus started the match well and showed early on that they intended to attack the hosts. One of the best chances fell to Nico González, whose attempt ended up against the frame of the goal.
Yet as the match went on, Sassuolo managed to restore the balance, while the Bianconeri could not turn their initiative into a goal.
The teams went in at half-time without a goal – 0-0.
ESPOSITO OPENED A CRAZY FINALE
What was not seen in the first hour of the match happened in the last half hour.
Sebastiano Esposito beat Guglielmo Vicario in the 65th minute to put Sassuolo ahead – 1-0. Juventus then had to push even more offensively, and Spalletti's substitutions completely changed the rhythm of the match.
Juventus' hero in Reggio Emilia was Edon Zhegrova. The player who started the match on the bench came on and in the 82nd minute brought the equaliser – 1-1. It was his first goal in a Juventus shirt, but that was not the end of his great evening. The match then exploded completely.
EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN THE LAST SIX MINUTES
In the 89th minute Sassuolo went ahead again. After winning the ball and a quick transition, Kieron Bowie made it 2-1. Juventus looked to be on the brink of defeat, but only two minutes later Zhegrova answered again.
In the 91st minute he found the hosts' net once more and with his second goal equalised at 2-2.
Juventus then went for a full comeback. It was precisely that desire to take all three points that cost the Bianconeri dearly in the end.
AND THEN – VASILIJE ADŽIĆ!
When it looked like the two teams would share the points, came a moment that will be remembered for a long time.
Vasilije Adžić, a Juventus player spending this season on loan at Sassuolo, was left completely unmarked in the Bianconeri penalty area. He received the ball and with a fantastic strike sent it into the top corner of Vicario's goal.
95th minute. Sassuolo – Juventus 3-2.
It was practically the last kick of the match. Adžić did not celebrate wildly against the club he belongs to, but it was his goal that gave Sassuolo a big win and Juventus their first league defeat of the season.
13 SEPTEMBER – VASILIJE ADŽIĆ'S DATE
The whole story takes on incredible symbolism when you look at the date. On 13 September 2025, Adžić scored a spectacular stoppage-time goal for Juventus against Inter to seal a 4-3 win for the Bianconeri. Exactly one year later – 13 September 2026 – he decided a match in stoppage time again. This time on the opposite side. As a Sassuolo player on loan from Juventus, he scored against his parent club and gave the Neroverdi a 3-2 win.
Same date. One year apart. Two dramatic finales and two Vasilije Adžić goals that decided the matches. Last year he was Juventus' hero. This year he became the man who brought them down.
ADŽIĆ CONTINUES HIS EXCELLENT RUN
The goal against Juventus is not an isolated moment of good form for the young midfielder. Adžić has now been directly involved in a goal in three consecutive Serie A matches, with two goals and one assist. Before going out on loan he made his first appearances in the Italian league as a Juventus player, and now, against the club he belongs to, he has shown why his development is still taken seriously.
ZHEGROVA'S TWO GOALS WERE NOT ENOUGH
A particularly bitter taste for Juventus comes from the fact that Zhegrova scored twice after coming off the bench, but even that was not enough for a point. The Bianconeri had more attempts – 18 to Sassuolo's 10 – but the hosts punished Juventus' big problems in defensive transition during the finale. These were Zhegrova's first goals in a Juventus shirt, so his individual performance is one of the few big positives Spalletti can take from the evening at the Mapei.
JUVENTUS' FIRST DEFEAT IN SERIE A
The defeat at the Mapei ended Juventus' unbeaten start to the league season. The Bianconeri had conceded only one goal in the first three rounds, only to concede three in a single match against Sassuolo. Sassuolo, on the other hand, continue to be a very uncomfortable trip for Juventus – the Neroverdi have now won three of the last four league meetings with the Bianconeri on their own ground.
But when this match is remembered years from now, one image will probably stand above all others:
13 September is definitely Vasilije Adžić's date!
Exactly one year ago, on 13 September 2025, Adžić gave Juventus an unforgettable 4-3 win over Inter with a spectacular stoppage-time goal. Exactly one year later, again on 13 September, another stoppage-time masterpiece – but this time against "his" Juventus. Adžić scored in the 95th minute to give Sassuolo a 3-2 win. Same date. One year apart. Two stoppage-time goals that decided two incredible matches.
MATIĆ LIKE FINE WINE – A FOOTBALL LESSON FOR JUVENTUS AT 38
Finally, Nemanja Matić deserves special attention. At 38 years of age, the Serbian midfielder showed that in his case age is just a number and gave a real football lesson in the middle of the pitch.
Composure, experience, vision and a feel for space were visible throughout the match, and the crowning moment of his performance came when a masterful assist saw him involved in one of Sassuolo's key goals.
While much younger players came and went around him, Matić once again demonstrated why he played at the highest European level for years. He did not need pace to control the game – he was a step ahead thanks to his football intelligence.
Nemanja Matić is like fine wine – the older he gets, the better he seems. At 38 he showed his class once more, and against Juventus he reminded everyone that true masters never forget how to play football.
Sassuolo – Juventus 3-2.
SASSUOLO: Muric; Cinquegrano, Idzes, Leysen (Ćaleta-Car 81'), Doig; Berardi (Adžić 71'), Matić, Lipani (Bakola 55'), Laurienté; Thorstvedt (Bowie 71'); Sebastiano Esposito (Benhar Domínguez 70')
JUVENTUS: Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumí (Kelly 46'), Zeki Çelik; Douglas Luiz, Koopmeiners (Pape Matar Sarr 71'); Francisco Conceição (Zhegrova 60'), Nico González (Woltemade 60'), Kerim Alajbegović (Oboavwoduo 87'); Kolo Muani
FINO ALLA FINE
