When trying on the string of mid- and lower-table opponents Juventus had on the schedule to start 2026, it was the second fixture of the brand new yr that was going to be checked out as the largest potential entice sport. Because it turned out, it solely took Luciano Spalletti’s squad 90 minutes into January to choose up a disappointing (or no matter phrase or phrases you need to use to explain what occurred on Saturday evening) end result towards an opponent they’d no enterprise doing such towards.
However that second fixture of 2026 has shortly arrived due to the jam-packed January that’s afoot for Juventus.
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As a lot as there might be near per week off between Matchday 19 and Matchday 20, the short turnaround between the ultimate two fixtures of the andata doesn’t permit Spalletti a lot time to try to flush what occurred towards Lecce over the weekend.
Perhaps that may show to be what his Juventus workforce wants as they head into Tuesday evening’s tough fixture on the highway on the Mapei Stadium. However the truth stays that Juventus head to a stadium through which they haven’t been in a few years and has been a spot through which some excellent and unhealthy issues have occurred through the years in want of three factors as soon as extra. The issue is that Juve might be dealing with a Sassuolo facet that has spent a lot of the primary half of their return season to Serie A within the high half of the desk. That’s the reason this fixture, not the one Juve performed over the weekend, was considered the rather more difficult fixture although Juve’s schedule on the entire is fairly favorable for a lot of January earlier than they see the return of the Champions League after which face Napoli in Turin.
Sassuolo at present sit in tenth place within the Serie A desk. They’ve spent an excellent portion of the season in the next place than that with solely a current run of 1 win of their final six video games slowing down a really spectacular begin to life again in Serie A for Fabio Grosso’s squad.
Over this current stretch, Sassuolo have instantly discovered themselves in one of many worst runs of type within the league. They’ve scored targets — seven in these final six video games — however they’re additionally doing a poor job of stopping their opponents from scoring, too, with a protection permitting eight targets over that span. Their lone win has come towards, Fiorentina, a workforce that up till this previous weekend was sitting on the backside of the league desk. They’ve misplaced to Como and Torino, but additionally gotten attracts towards AC Milan and Bologna. So there’s some good leads to there towards European rivals regardless of some very apparent slip-ups as effectively.
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So it’s fairly simple to see that it’s been arduous to foretell which Sassuolo will present up lately.
Then once more, you may say that for Juventus loads of the time this season, too — which is why we’ve seen them change managers after they did and nonetheless wrestle to shake the notion that they’re solely going to proceed to be their very own worst enemy like they had been this previous weekend.
Juventus received the assistance they wanted with regards to the desk and now sit in fourth place forward of Roma on objective differential. A win over Lecce over the weekend would have meant they had been forward by a few factors, but it surely’s not essentially simple to assume that Juve would drop factors after they dominated within the trend that they did on Saturday evening.
Dealing with Sassuolo has by no means been simple. They’re definitely one of many greatest provincial thorns within the Bianconeri’s facet during the last decade or so. Dealing with Sassuolo at residence doesn’t make it any extra routine. Dealing with Sasuolo at residence and doing so three days after a tough end result that had your budding star of a No. 10 trying flat-out and utterly emotionally spent as he reacted on the Allianz Stadium turf doesn’t make it any the simpler.
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If Juventus need to be within the driver’s seat with regards to the race for a spot within the high 4, it’s these varieties of inauspicious fixtures towards mid-table golf equipment that they will have to start out profitable frequently once more. They’re in fourth place — albeit simply barely — and now it’s about attempting to remain there. (Plus, go try who Roma are enjoying to complete up the primary half of the season. Perhaps lightning will strike twice inside a number of days.)
TEAM NEWS
Spalletti didn’t maintain a pre-match press convention on Monday, so we’re not completely certain in regards to the couple of query marks inside the Juventus squad.
That’s as a result of each Francisco Conceição and Lloyd Kelly each skilled separate from the group on Monday. With the short turnaround after the draw with Lecce, it’s unlikely that both participant is within the beginning lineup towards Sassuolo.
The three gamers who we all know might be out resulting from harm are: Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti and Daniele Rugani.
Contemplating Conceição is a doubt and Edon Zhegrova remains to be on a minutes restrict, we might very effectively see Fabio Miretti begin in a extra superior function if Spalletti returns to the 3-4-2-1 formation that he’s used the overwhelming majority of the time since turning into Juventus supervisor.
Manuel Locatelli is one yellow card away from having to serve a one-game suspension.
JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH
One of many defining moments — and never in a great way — from Juventus’ draw with Lecce turned the cross-field go that Andrea Cambiaso tried proper because the clock ticked previous the forty fifth minute. There’s most likely an excellent variety of us who’re nonetheless questioning who that go was meant for as a result of it definitely didn’t come near any of his Juventus teammates.
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It ended up being the newest occasion in what’s turning into an extended record of errors that the 25-year-old Italian has collected during the last 12 months as his general type has trended downward with out an finish in sight.
So, what provides? At this level, it’s arduous to inform. Nevertheless it’s secure to say Juventus can’t afford to see him proceed to wrestle in this type of means.
Which is the obvious assertion of apparent statements. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless true. As a result of as Spalletti rolled out a four-man protection for the primary time as Juventus supervisor, the juxtaposition of Cambiaso — a participant who is totally off form and much from the participant he was 12-14 months in the past — on the left and the mannequin of consistency in Pierre Kalulu on the appropriate couldn’t go unnoticed.
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Then Cambiaso went out and immediately despatched a go into no man’s land and it resulted in a Lecce objective.
This was the newest chapter of Cambiaso’s struggles and one hell of a technique to begin the 2026 calendar yr. The place it can cease is tough to inform at this level. He’s a proficient participant, but additionally any individual who’s both unable to get out of his personal head at this level or simply utterly struggling to get again within the correct mind set following these rumors of Manchester Metropolis curiosity final winter. As a result of, as we will clearly see now, ever since these rumors went away and Metropolis went in a special route final January, Cambiaso’s type — albeit with an early help from a lingering ankle harm — went utterly wayward.
However Spalletti wants Cambiaso to one way or the other snap out of it. This workforce doesn’t have many different choices on the fullback or wingback place, so it’s not like instantly benching Cambiaso might be one thing that will turn into an choice. (Filip Kostic as full-time starter in 2026? Do we actually need that to turn into a factor?)
So right here’s to hoping that Cambiaso’s second look in 2026 might be like his first. That’s one thing I certain don’t need to be reminded of once more.
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MATCH INFO
When: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
The place: Mapei Stadium, Sassuolo, Italy.
Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Jap time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.
HOW TO WATCH
Tv: TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 1 (United Kingdom).
On-line/Streaming: , CBS Sports activities Golazo Community, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).
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