Even though Sassuolo seemed to find themselves lost in midtable obscurity, there was a steely determination to the way they defended.
So, while Juventus had the better of the ball during the early stages, the first notable opportunity went to Nedim Bajrami 20 minutes in, although he eventually fired over after Maxime Lopez found him at the end of a break forward.
The effervescent Davide Frattesi was always keen to make something and smashed an effort into the side netting in a match that had offered very little attacking promise up until that stage.
That lack of quality was encapsulated on the half-hour mark, when Adrien Rabiot lost possession in a potentially dangerous position but was let off by Andrea Pinamonti, who played his pass behind Armand Lauriente as the Frenchman raced into the box.
Even so, Sassuolo had enjoyed the more promising openings and continued to create after the restart, with Mattia Perin awkwardly tipping Lopez’s ambitious effort wide, then getting down superbly to stop Gregoire Defrel’s header from the ensuing corner.
Bajrami then came close to a bizarre opener twice, playing a pass for Matheus Henrique that trickled its way towards the bottom corner before being cleared by Federico Gatti, who headed the Albania international’s effort onto the post moments later.
A deserved lead eventually came through Defrel after the hour mark, as the half-time substitute capitalised on Nicolo Fagioli’s poor clearance with an instinctive finish. With Juventus now desperately chasing an equaliser, Rabiot saw his header magnificently saved by Andrea Consigli before Angel Di María poked his effort over.
Poor finishes from Emil Konradsen Ceïde and Henrique left the door ajar but the Bianconeri couldn’t respond, suffering back-to-back Serie A losses for the first time since October 2021 and now seeking solace in the UEFA Europa League, where they will play their second leg against Sporting.
Sassuolo may not have a match on the continent to look forward to, but the Neroverdi’s first win in three might fuel faint hopes that they can sneak into SA’s European positions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo)
