12 May 2021
Juventus bounced back with a victory after they defeated Sassuolo 3-1 on Wednesday evening courtesy of goals from Adrien Rabiot, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, while Gianluigi Buffon denied Domenico Berardi from the penalty spot.
BUFFON SAVES PENALTY
After suffering a defeat to Milan on the weekend, Andrea Pirlo was looking to bounce back with a victory against Sassuolo. However, it was the hosts who were the first to threaten at goal, when they saw chances from Traore and Berardi both blazed narrowly over the target. The Neroverdi were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute when Bonucci brought down Raspadori inside the box. It was Berardi who took to the spot, and he was brilliantly denied by Buffon who palmed away his penalty to keep the scoreline goalless.
RABIOT OPENS THE SCORING
Kulusevski saw his angled shot parried away by Consigli, before the Bianconeri grabbed the lead in the 28th minute courtesy of Rabiot: he cut inside and drilled a left-footed effort through the legs of keeper. Buffon pulled off another spectacular save to deny Sassuolo, when he pushed away Obiang’s curling effort at the bottom post, before Ronaldo’s shot was saved by Consigli.
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Despite Sassuolo’s attacking efforts, Juventus would prove to be more ruthless in front of goal and they went two goals clear on the brink of half-time. Ronaldo brilliantly controlled a long ball, beat Marlon with a flick and drilled it past Sassuolo’s stopper to score his 100th strike in the black and white jersey.
SASSUOLO PULL ONE BACK, DYBALA RESPONDS
The second half started with Juventus testing Consigli, but he was equal to Chiesa’s effort. The Neroverdi then pulled one back in the 59th minute when a central pass to Raspadori allowed him to drill a low effort into the bottom corner. Chiesa curled the ball around the back post, before Alex Sandro pulled off an incredible intervention to toe-poke Locatelli’s cross out at the back post. Juventus’ two-goal lead was restored in the 66th minute when a breakaway saw Kulusevski cross the ball to Dybala, he then burst into the box and chipped the ball into the back of the net to also score his 100th goal for the club. Ronaldo then rattled the upright with a curling effort, as the Bianconeri went on to claim all three points.
Sassuolo: Consigli; Toljan, Marlon, Ferrari, Kyriakopoulos; Obiang, Locatelli; Berardi, Traore, Boga; Raspadori
Juventus: Buffon; Danilo, De Ligt, Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Kulusevski, Arthur (Bentancur 60’), Rabiot, Chiesa (Cuadrado 81’); Dybala (McKennie 81’), Ronaldo
Subs: Szczesny, Pinsoglio, Chiellini, Cuadrado, Demiral, Ramsey, McKennie, Bentancur, Bernardeschi, Morata, Felix Correia.
