Vasilije Adžić had been on the pitch for less than 20 minutes when he settled one of Serie A’s most chaotic finishes of the season. His 90th-minute strike, assisted by Armand Laurienté, denied Juventus what would have been a late point, completing a 3-2 win for Sassuolo at Mapei Stadium on September 13. Edon Zhegrova had given Luciano Spalletti’s side hope with two goals in the final nine minutes, the second arriving in the 90th minute to make it 2-2, but Adžić immediately answered at the other end, according to goal.com. Sassuolo coach Alberto Aquilani called the performance a display of courage, singling out Nemanja Matić as a champion in his post-match comments, per Yahoo Sports.
Key Moments
- 20′, Jhon Lucumí picked up a yellow card for tripping, a booking that prompted Spalletti to pull him at half-time.
- 65′, Sebastiano Esposito broke the deadlock, finishing from a Nemanja Matić assist to give Sassuolo the lead.
- 71′, Triple change for Sassuolo: Esposito, Domenico Berardi and Kristian Thorstvedt all make way, with Vasilije Adžić among those entering the pitch.
- 82′, Edon Zhegrova, on as a second-half substitute, pulled Juventus level with his first goal of the night.
- 89′, Kieron Bowie restored Sassuolo’s lead, converting a Darryl Bakola assist to make it 2-1.
- 90′, Zhegrova struck again, assisted by Randal Kolo Muani, to level at 2-2 and seemingly salvage a draw for Juventus.
- 90′, Adžić immediately responded at the other end, finishing from Laurienté’s pass in added time to win it 3-2 for Sassuolo, per goal.com.
Tactical Breakdown
Juventus controlled the match on paper. Spalletti’s side had 55% possession, generated 18 total shots to Sassuolo’s 10, and held an xG edge (1.00 vs 0.88). Arijanet Murić made six saves to keep Sassuolo in the match through the opening hour, a workload that told the story of how much Juventus pressed without converting. The visitors dominated corners nine to three but could not find the net.
The game tilted after a wave of substitutions on the hour mark. Spalletti replaced Francisco Conceição and Nicolás González simultaneously, bringing on Edon Zhegrova and Nick Woltemade, while Sassuolo made three changes at the 71st minute. Aquilani’s triple change proved the more decisive intervention. Adžić and Kieron Bowie, both entering in the 71st minute, combined to score two of the three goals. Zhegrova’s individual quality nearly rescued Juventus, but the Kosovo international could not do it alone.
Sassuolo’s defensive shape held for long stretches despite Juventus’s pressure, though the final ten minutes exposed how thin the margin was. The visitors’ 13 fouls and two yellow cards suggested frustration setting in as the game opened up. For Juventus, conceding in added time after fighting back to 2-2 was the defining failure, as TSN reported. Pierre Kalulu, who received the lowest rating among Juventus starters, had a difficult evening at right back.
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Verdict
Both sides sit level on seven points after four games, with Sassuolo ninth and Juventus eighth on goal difference. For Aquilani’s side, the win snaps a one-game losing run and keeps them in the pack chasing the top half of a tight table. Spalletti’s Juventus now carry their first back-to-back negative result concern of the season, having surrendered a point they thought they had secured deep in stoppage time.