Sassuolo-Juventus, CM’s player ratings: Zhegrova offers false hope, Kolo Muani disastrous, Adzic a dream, Matic the master. And Aquilani beat Spalletti
The ratings from the Sunday night match played at the Mapei Stadium
Here are the player ratings for Sassuolo-Juventus 3-2, a match from the fourth round of the Serie A 2026-27 season.
Sassuolo
Muric 7: an effort that clips the bar spares him from Nico Gonzalez early on, then he comfortably saves a left-footed shot from Koopmeiners and a right-footed one from Conceicao. Early in the second half he does well to turn a right-footed effort from Alajbegovic behind for a corner, then repeats it against the Bosnian on 60 minutes, and again a few minutes later against Douglas Luiz. His save from Alajbegovic late on is outstanding.
Cinquegrano 6.5: he makes his presence felt both in tracking Alajbegovic and in driving forward down the flank, overlapping with Berardi.
Leysen 6.5: alongside Idzes he shares the task of marking Kolo Muani, giving the Frenchman nothing. He is accurate throughout against the forwards, then picks up a yellow card late on for a foul on Woltemade.
Idzes 6.5: precise in his marking, and more involved in attack than Leysen too, looking for a header from set-pieces. (From the 81st minute Caleta-Car:
Doig 6.5: he stands out with a burst down the left on 35 minutes, his effort hitting the outside of the net. A performance full of substance and running.
Thorstvedt 6: preferred to Adzic, he gives Sassuolo plenty of running in midfield until he is substituted. (From the 70th minute Adzic 7.5: with the last kick, he scores the ex-player's goal that stops Juventus' second comeback, the goal for 3-2 curled into the far corner).
Matic 8: in midfield he makes his experience and vision count against Douglas Luiz and Koopmeiners. His assist for Esposito's goal is a masterstroke, and he produces more of the same in the build-up.
Lipani 5.5: together with Thorstvedt he is one of the lungs that allow Matic to develop his patterns. An early second-half booking limits his interventions in breaking up play, and Aquilani replaces him shortly afterwards. (From the 55th minute Bakola 6.5: he is a player Juventus are monitoring in the transfer market, and his assist for Bowie's goal is valuable.
Berardi 6: on the right he is a constant thorn in Juventus' defence's side, but he also drifts inside, playing as a genuine playmaker in Sassuolo's attack. Towards the end of the first half he forces Vicario into a low save with a left-footed shot from distance. He goes close again early in the second half, only to find Vicario once more. He often looks to combine with Matic. (From the 70th minute Dominguez 6: he comes on and does his bit)
Esposito 7: he leads the line, tasked both with going for goal and opening up space for Berardi and Laurienté. One of his shots from the edge of the box goes just wide of Vicario's left post. As the minutes pass, especially in the second half, he starts to drift across the entire attacking front until he finds the goal with his right foot from a fine assist by Matic. (From the 70th minute Bowie 7.5: he gets one chance, but it is the most important one, scoring for 2-1 from Bakola's assist.
Laurienté 6.5: starting from the left of the attack, he works hard for his team-mates, with a couple of fine switches of play to the opposite flank. In the second half he causes Kalulu problems.
Manager Aquilani 7: he sets the match up well and finishes even better, with changes that are spot on and decisive. The pupil beats the master Spalletti.
Juventus
Vicario 5.5: his first intervention is a knee-first clearance shortly before the half-hour mark. He then comes charging out, head first around the halfway line, to beat Berardi to the ball. Berardi tests him again late in the first half and he gets down to save the Sassuolo captain's left-footed effort. He does the same again early in the second half, pushing another left-footed shot from the No 10 behind for a corner. Sassuolo's three goals are more on the defence than on him, but he still shipped three and cannot get a pass mark.
Kalulu 5: alert against Laurienté and not especially keen to get forward, he is loose with some of his passing and with his handling of Laurienté. He is nowhere to be seen for Adzic's goal, just like the central defenders, because they had all pushed upfield.
Bremer 4.5: he uses his physicality and his timing to step in well against both Esposito and Laurienté. Alongside Kelly, he gets caught out by Esposito and Matic in the move for the 1-0 goal. His positioning is not right for the 2-1 either, and for the 3-2 he is absent after going forward.
Lucumí 5.5: he does well to shut down Berardi after Conceicao's misplaced pass had sent him through. Then he dives in on Esposito, picks up a booking and goes off at half-time as a result. (From 46' Kelly 5: for Esposito's goal, together with Bremer, he is beaten by the Sassuolo striker).
Celik 5.5: he has Sassuolo's toughest customer on his side in Berardi. Celik gets the better of him well early on, then the Sassuolo captain starts drifting more and it becomes difficult for the Turk to track him. He improves in the second half with some fine ball recoveries against Berardi and Esposito. Still, Sassuolo's goal starts down his flank.
Douglas Luiz 5.5: he now looks firmly in control of the Old Lady's midfield, but his passing is nearly always limited to simple balls to the nearest team-mate, with no risk in them. He is useful with a few ball recoveries and also tries his luck with a right-footed effort saved by Muric. He goes into the book for a foul on Doig.
Koopmeiners 5.5: he alternates in the playmaking role with Douglas Luiz, working on the left side of Juventus' midfield. He is timid and at times inaccurate with his vertical passing. Shortly after the half-hour mark he gets the chance to let fly with his left foot from the edge of the area, but the shot is weak and predictable. He fades badly after the break (From 70' Sarr 5.5: he comes on in a finale Juventus will want to forget).
Conceicao 6: early on he plays a horrible backpass that sparks a Sassuolo counter and gives Berardi a chance. He grows into the first half and finds space on the right with his pace and dribbling, though the final ball is not always accurate. Towards the end of the first half he switches to the left and from there tries a right-footed effort saved by Muric. (From 60' Zhegrova 7.5: he comes on and produces a few bursts, with plenty of intent and little end product. He is clinical, though, when in the 82nd minute he controls the ball and then scores with an accurate left-footed finish. But that is not all: deep into stoppage time, again with his left foot, but this time with power, he finds the 2-2 goal).
Nico Gonzalez 6: right from the start he rattles the crossbar with a fine right-footed strike from the edge of the area. He always looks like Juventus' most dangerous player, in theory and in practice, and his bursts are constant, both going forward and tracking back. (From 60' Woltemade 5: he has a huge chance in the 84th minute, when he rises for a header but puts it wide).
Alajbegović 6: he sees plenty of the ball and, after a quarter of an hour, frees himself on the left with a skilful double step-over before putting the ball into the area without finding any team-mates ready to finish. Every time he gets it, he drives forward and gives the Sassuolo defenders problems. He starts the second half with a right-footed shot that Muric pushes behind for a corner, then tries again on the hour with the same result. He then has a third go, selfishly, drawing Spalletti's anger because he does not pick out Kolo Muani and Woltemade. A few minutes from time, after the 1-1, Muric then denies him with a great save. (From 88' Oboawvoduo: n/a).
Kolo Muani 4: he starts by struggling badly, as in previous matches, both to make himself available and with his first touch. In the first half he is almost a ghost, and nothing changes after the break.
Manager Spalletti 5: he loses the battle with his pupil Aquilani. Zhegrova's introduction is spot on, his persistence with Kolo Muani much less so. At 2-2, perhaps he should have told the team to accept their second comeback instead of throwing themselves forward in search of victory and ending up with defeat).
