Juventus travel to Sassuolo on Sunday at 20:45 at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia for matchday four of Serie A. Luciano Spalletti's side want to continue their strong start to the season, but the Bianconeri face a trip that has been anything but easy in recent years. Although the overall record is firmly in Juventus' favour, the Neroverdi have shown more than once that they can seriously trouble the Old Lady on their own ground.
The history of this fixture has had it all – from Juventus' spectacular 7-0 win, through dramatic matches at the Mapei, to a painful 4-2 defeat. Dušan Vlahović and Nico González are a story of their own, two players with an excellent record against Sassuolo.
JUVENTUS DOMINATE THE HEAD-TO-HEAD
Sunday's match will be the 25th Serie A meeting between Sassuolo and Juventus.
The record so far is heavily in the Bianconeri's favour:
Juventus – 16 wins
Sassuolo – 4 wins
Draws – 4 matches
Juventus have scored 56 goals against Sassuolo, more than any other club against the Neroverdi in Serie A. An average of roughly 2.3 goals per game shows how efficient Juventus have historically been against this opponent.
THE MAPEI HAS BECOME DANGEROUS TERRITORY IN RECENT YEARS
The overall statistics favour Juventus, but the results in Reggio Emilia are a warning for Spalletti's team. In 12 league trips to Sassuolo, Juventus have recorded seven wins, two draws and three defeats, with a goal difference of 25-14. However, Sassuolo have won two of the last three league meetings with Juventus at the Mapei. The 4-2 defeat from September 2023 remains particularly painful, while the Neroverdi had also won 1-0 a few months earlier. Juventus' most recent visit had a completely different ending – on 6 January 2026 the Bianconeri won 3-0.
THE LAST MEETING ENDED WITHOUT A WINNER
The last meeting between Juventus and Sassuolo was played on 21 March 2026 at the Allianz Stadium and ended 1-1. That ended an interesting run of nine league meetings without a draw – Juventus won six of them and Sassuolo three.
7-0 – THE DAY JUVENTUS STEAMROLLED SASSUOLO
One match still stands out from all the previous meetings. It was 4 February 2018 at the Allianz Stadium, when Juventus demolished Sassuolo by an incredible 7-0. It all started as early as the ninth minute with a goal from Alex Sandro. Sami Khedira then scored twice, in the 24th and 27th minutes, before Miralem Pjanić made it a huge 4-0 in the 38th minute, already before half-time. And then in the second half the Gonzalo Higuaín show began. The Argentine scored in the 63rd, 74th and 83rd minutes to complete his first hat-trick in a Juventus shirt. The final 7-0 was at the time the joint-biggest Juventus win since the opening of the Allianz Stadium.
HIGUAÍN WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR THE NEROVERDI
Gonzalo Higuaín had a particularly successful history against Sassuolo.
Back in 2018 Juventus listed the Argentine as their top scorer against the Neroverdi with five goals. Three of them came in that unforgettable 7-0.
The most common scoreline in league meetings between the two clubs has been 3-1 to Juventus, which further shows how prolific the Bianconeri have historically been against Sassuolo.
FROM 7-0 TO A SHOCKING 4-2 – SASSUOLO KNEW HOW TO HIT BACK
But the history of this fixture has a completely different side too. On 23 September 2023 Juventus suffered one of their most painful defeats at the Mapei – Sassuolo won 4-2. Armand Laurienté put the hosts ahead as early as the 12th minute after a big mistake by Wojciech Szczęsny. An own goal by Matías Viña brought Juventus back into the match, but Domenico Berardi made it 2-1 before the break.
Federico Chiesa equalised at 2-2 in the 78th minute and it seemed Juventus could complete a full comeback.
Only four minutes later, however, Andrea Pinamonti restored Sassuolo's lead.
And then in stoppage time came one of the most bizarre moments in recent Juventus history – Federico Gatti scored an own goal in the 94th minute after a mix-up with Szczęsny to make it 4-2. That match remains the best proof that Juventus' statistical dominance does not guarantee a quiet evening at the Mapei.
VLAHOVIĆ IS A SPECIAL STORY – SIX GOALS AGAINST SASSUOLO
When it comes to players from our region, Dušan Vlahović holds a special place. The Serbian striker has scored a total of six Serie A goals against Sassuolo – two as a Fiorentina player and four in a Juventus shirt. He first punished them as an Old Lady player on 15 August 2022, on the opening day of the season. Juventus won 3-0 and Vlahović scored twice – the first from the penalty spot and the second after an assist from Ángel Di María. Yet his best performance against the Neroverdi was still to come.
VLAHOVIĆ'S LEFT FOOT TO REMEMBER
On 16 January 2024 Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-0 again, and Dušan Vlahović practically settled the match in the first half. The Serbian scored two fantastic goals. First he struck with a powerful shot from distance, and then came a moment still remembered today – a spectacular left-footed free kick that flew into the top corner of Andrea Consigli's goal. Juventus described the second goal as Vlahović's left-footed "bomb" that ended up right in the top corner.
Vlahović thereby became the fastest Juventus player to score two goals from outside the box in a single Serie A match since Opta began collecting such data, from the 2004/05 season. He needed only 37 minutes for the two goals.
NICO GONZÁLEZ LOVES SASSUOLO – FOUR GOALS IN FIVE GAMES
Another player whose name deserves a special mention before Sunday's meeting is Nico González. The Argentine has scored more Serie A goals against Sassuolo than against any other opponent – four goals in five appearances. He scored all four as a Fiorentina player, and it is especially interesting that he scored in three consecutive appearances against the Neroverdi. The first came on 7 January 2023, when Fiorentina beat Sassuolo 2-1. González converted a stoppage-time penalty to win the match for his team. He scored again on 2 June 2023 at the Mapei. Fiorentina won 3-1 and González scored in the 83rd minute.
His best performance came on 28 April 2024, when Fiorentina thrashed Sassuolo 5-1. González scored twice, in the 58th and 66th minutes.
BERARDI IS THE MAN JUVENTUS MUST WATCH
On the other side is the man who has for years been Sassuolo's symbol and biggest threat – Domenico Berardi. Berardi also scored in the Neroverdi's famous 4-2 win over Juventus in September 2023. His left foot and his ability to make the difference with a single move will once again be one of the biggest threats to the Juventus defence.
SACCHI TAKES CHARGE AT THE MAPEI
Juan Luca Sacchi has been appointed as the referee.
The full officiating team is as follows:
Referee: Juan Luca Sacchi
Assistants: Davide Imperiale and Thomas Miniutti
Fourth official: Luca Zufferli
VAR: Davide Ghersini
AVAR: Marco Piccinini
Sacchi already has experience with Juventus matches, and the Bianconeri's record under his control is very positive. In seven Juventus matches he has refereed, the Old Lady recorded:
5 wins – 1 draw – 1 defeat.
SACCHI'S ONLY DEFEAT WITH JUVENTUS? SASSUOLO, OF COURSE!
Here we come to one of the most interesting details before the match. The first Juventus match Sacchi refereed was against Sassuolo – 27 October 2021 at the Allianz Stadium.
The Neroverdi sprang a big surprise that day and won 2-1, with Maxime López scoring the decisive goal deep into stoppage time.
Since then, Juventus' results in matches refereed by Sacchi have changed completely. After that defeat the Bianconeri put together a run of five wins and one draw. Sunday's match brings another curiosity – Sacchi will referee a Juventus away match for the first time in his career.
SPALLETTI'S JUVENTUS ARE HARD TO SCORE AGAINST
One of Juventus' main strengths at the start of the season is the defence. The Bianconeri have conceded only one goal in the first three rounds, while allowing opponents just 0.8 expected goals (xG). Only 18 shots have been taken against Juventus, six of them on target. Even more impressive is the fact that Juventus have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six league away matches.
The solidity of Spalletti's team could be the key at a stadium where Juventus have been badly burned in recent years.
SPALLETTI AGAINST HIS FORMER PUPIL
The match also brings a very interesting coaching duel. Luciano Spalletti and Alberto Aquilani will meet as coaches in Serie A for the first time, but the two know each other very well. Spalletti coached Aquilani at Roma between the 2005/06 and 2008/09 seasons. Aquilani later also spent a season at Juventus.
Spalletti, for his part, has seven wins and three draws in 13 league matches against Sassuolo as a coach. Now the former pupil will try to spoil his former coach's plans.
EVERYTHING IS SET FOR A NEW CLASH AT THE MAPEI
Sassuolo and Juventus meet on Sunday, 13 September, at 20:45 at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. The match is broadcast live on ARENA PREMIUM 3.
History is firmly on the Old Lady's side, but previous years have shown that a trip to the Neroverdi should never be taken for granted. From the historic 7-0, through Vlahović's magical left foot and Nico González's excellent record, to the shocking 4-2 at the Mapei – this fixture has produced matches to remember many times before.
Now it is up to Spalletti's Juventus to write a new chapter.
FINO ALLA FINE
