Sassuolo vs Juventus: A Depleted Juventus Faces a Trap

Juventus arrive in Emilia-Romagna stripped of stars and margin for error. Sassuolo, sitting quietly in mid-table, sense an opportunity.

Kick-off is set for 19:45 on 13 September 2026, a familiar evening slot for a fixture that has become anything but routine for the Turin club.

How to watch around the world

The game is being broadcast across the globe, with coverage stitched together by a long list of regional partners.

In India and Bangladesh, ZEE5 carries the action, while in the United States it’s on Paramount+ and CBS Sports. Fans in the United Kingdom can tune in via DAZN UK or TNT Sports, with Ireland sharing the same TNT Sports/DAZN UK offering.

DAZN also controls the rights in several major European markets, including Germany, France, Belgium, Canada and Japan, while DAZN Italia screens the game in San Marino and DAZN Spain covers Andorra.

Disney+ has snapped up rights across much of Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and a wide range of Caribbean territories such as Aruba, Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Across Africa, StarTimes is a key player, broadcasting in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo, Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Madagascar, Niger, Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Congo. Azam Sports shows the match in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and parts of East and Southern Africa, while SuperSport has the rights in South Africa.

In the Middle East and North Africa, STARZPLAY dominates, screening the game in Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, and across parts of East Africa such as Ethiopia, Djibouti and South Sudan. Saudi Arabia combines STC TV with STARZPLAY.

Italy’s neighbours are well covered: Sport TV in Portugal, Digi Sport in Romania, Arena Sport in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia, MAX Sport in Bulgaria, Tring Sport in Albania and Moja TV in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Greece, MagentaSport has the rights, while TV2 Play shows the game in Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Bermuda.

Scandinavia and the Baltics tune in via TV4 Play in Sweden, MTV Katsomo in Finland, VG+ in Norway, and Go3 Sport in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. In the Netherlands, Ziggo Sport has the match, while TV2 Play also covers the Faroe Islands. In Cyprus, it’s on Cytavision Sports, and in Malta on GO TV.

Across Asia and Oceania, DAZN Japan broadcasts in Japan, beIN Sports in Australia and parts of Asia including Laos and Hong Kong, with Now Player joining in Hong Kong. Astro Go shows the game in Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei, while Vidio has Indonesia. Thmanyah carries coverage in Iran and East Timor/Mauritius, and ZEE5 reaches Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. In Singapore and Slovakia, Sport 1 SK broadcasts the match, with Sport 1 CZ taking care of Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Q League holds rights in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Moldova, while Silk Universal covers Georgia. In Israel, the game is on Sport 2. MyTV Vietnam has Vietnam, while TrueID shows it in Thailand. Fiji and Djibouti get the game via STARZPLAY.

Canada is on DAZN, while Belize watches through Nexgen and Guyana and Suriname via SCCN. Various island territories, from French Polynesia and New Caledonia (DAZN France) to Samoa and Curaçao (Disney+), are also plugged in.

Wherever you are, there is almost certainly a screen waiting.

VPN as a workaround

For viewers locked out by regional restrictions, a VPN offers a route in. By connecting to a server in a country where Sassuolo vs Juventus is being shown, fans can access that broadcaster’s stream.

The process is straightforward: sign up to a reputable VPN service, install the app, and connect to a server in the desired country. Clearing cookies or cache helps the new virtual location register correctly. From there, you log into the broadcaster’s site or app and watch as normal.

To move the action from a small device to the living room, many Android-based smart TVs and streaming sticks such as Amazon Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast with Google TV support native VPN apps. You install the VPN directly on the TV, sign in and connect.

Apple TV, Roku and most consoles do not run VPN apps natively. The usual workaround is Smart DNS from your VPN provider, or casting/mirroring the stream from a VPN-connected phone or laptop onto the television.

Team news: Sassuolo stretched but settled

Alberto Aquilani must juggle a lengthy injury list, yet his starting XI looks relatively settled.

Sassuolo are missing Fali Candé, Ismael Koné, Edoardo Pieragnolo, Daniel Boloca, Yeferson Paz, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Cristian Volpato and Darryl Bakola. No suspensions complicate matters, so the coach at least knows where he stands.

Arijanet Muric is expected to start in goal. In front of him, a back four of Fedde Leysen, Jay Idzes, Josh Doig and Simone Cinquegrano should line up, offering a blend of height, aggression and width.

Nemanja Matic, the veteran fulcrum, is set to anchor midfield alongside Vasilije Adžić. Ahead of them, Kieron Bowie, Sebastiano Esposito and Armand Laurienté are tipped to support the attack, with Laurienté’s direct running and Esposito’s movement key to unsettling Juventus’ reshaped defence.

Juventus threadbare but dangerous

Luciano Spalletti’s options are even more limited. Juventus travel with a squad that looks alarmingly thin for a club of their stature.

Manuel Locatelli, Khephren Thuram, Kenan Yildiz, Juan Cabal, Weston McKennie, Arkadiusz Milik, Jeremie Boga and Jeff Ekhator are all unavailable. The spine has been stripped, the bench shortened.

Guglielmo Vicario is expected in goal. The defence should feature Jhon Lucumí, Gleison Bremer, Mehmet Zeki Çelik and Pierre Kalulu, a back line that leans heavily on Bremer’s authority and Kalulu’s versatility.

Ahead of them, Teun Koopmeiners and Douglas Luiz provide structure and passing range, with Nico González, Kerim Alajbegovic and Chico Conceição offering support to lone striker Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman’s pace and power remain Juventus’ most obvious route to goal.

There is a possible boost: Pape Matar Sarr has been working back to fitness and could add crucial midfield depth if he is passed fit to feature. With so many absentees, even 20 or 30 minutes from him would matter.

Form guide: contrasting rhythms

Sassuolo arrive with a quietly encouraging run behind them. Across their last five competitive games, they have collected two wins, two draws and one defeat, including a Coppa Italia victory over Cesena. They have scored eight and conceded six in that stretch.

At home, they have already shown they can edge tight Serie A contests, beating Torino 2-1. Their most recent outing, a 2-2 draw at Bologna, underlined both their attacking threat and defensive frailty. The only league loss in that run came against Atalanta, a reminder of how punishing the division’s elite can be.

Juventus, for all their problems, remain unbeaten in Serie A. They opened with a clean-sheet win away at Frosinone, followed it with victory at Parma, and then drew 1-1 with AC Milan. Four goals scored, two conceded, and a sense that Spalletti’s side know how to manage games even when not at full strength.

Their only recent defeat came in a pre-season friendly against Inter, a result that stung the pride but did not affect the league table. Competitive fixtures tell a different story: two wins, two draws, no losses in their last four.

Head-to-head: no guarantees for Juve

Recent meetings between these two have been tight and occasionally tense.

The last clash, at the Allianz Stadium in March 2026, ended 1-1. Before that, Juventus imposed themselves with a 3-0 win away at Sassuolo in January 2026, a reminder of what happens when their attacking pieces click.

Across the last five Serie A encounters, Juventus have three wins and Sassuolo two. Eleven goals have been shared in those games, suggesting a fixture that rarely drifts quietly.

History leans towards the visitors. It does not protect them.

The table and the stakes

Sassuolo sit tenth in the current Serie A standings, a position that offers breathing space but no guarantees. A win here would push them towards the European conversation; a defeat, and they slide back into the pack.

Juventus are sixth, looking upwards. With the top four in their sights and expectations unchanged despite injuries, they cannot afford to let too many points slip away, especially against sides outside the traditional elite.

Aquilani’s Sassuolo see a wounded giant. Spalletti’s Juventus see a tricky away day they simply have to survive.

Which vision shapes the night?