Sassuolo – Juventus
Serie A
29.01.2017 15:00
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Sassuolo is streaking lately with a two-game winning run and three consecutive unbeaten performances. The team is still in the bottom half of the league standings, though, in the 14th spot, tied on points with Genoa and Sampdoria but has the highest goal differential of the three squads.
I Neroverdi is coming off an overpowering 3-1 romp of newly-promoted team Pescara on the road at the Adriatico Stadium last Sunday, as per SkySports.
Italian striker Alessandro Matri was the man of the match for head coach Eusebio Di Francesco’s side as he scored a brace.
Matri opened the scoring right in the first minute of the game with a left-footed shot from the left side of the six-yard box off an assist by Matteo Politano.
Pescara was able to equalize in the 56th minute with a goal by Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, but Sassuolo quickly got back the lead nine minutes later with a strike by Lorenzo Pellegrini.
Matri then netted his second goal in the 73rd minute to seal the win for Sassuolo.
Meanwhile, Juventus bounced back from their upset loss to Fiorentina in the previous round by blanking capital city team Lazio, 2-0, at the Juventus Stadium also last Sunday, Goal reported.
Strikers Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuaín netted two early goals to give head coach Massimiliano Allegri’s side a quick two-goal lead which was never relinquished in the entire match.
Dybala broke the game’s deadlock in the fifth minute before Higuaín doubled the lead in the 16th. Both teams went scoreless after that.
The win was Juve’s 16th in 20 games so far this season. They continue to be on top of the standings, but Roma is nipping at their heels with only a point behind at second place.
Prediction and Predicted Lineup
The predicted result is a 2-1 victory by Juventus.
Sassuolo starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Consigli; Peluso, Acerbi, Lirola, Cannavaro; Politano, Pellegrini; Aquilani, Berardi, Mazzitelli; Matri
Juventus starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Buffon; Asamoah, Chiellini, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci; Mandzukic, Dybala; Khedira, Cuadrado, Pjanic; Higuaín
