Juventus beat Sassuolo to keep pressure on Inter in Serie A
After celebrating his 400th game in charge of Juventus last week, number 401 got off to the perfect start for Massimiliano Allegri.
It would perhaps be unfair to suggest Juve dominated from the outset, but they were good value for their early goal which duly arrived when a swift counter resulted in Dusan Vlahovic curling home a sumptuous strike from the edge of the area.
Soon after, a Sassuolo leveller nearly arrived when Armand Laurienté’s rocket from distance forced a smart stop out of Wojciech Szczesny.
The visitors then found out the hard way that missing such chances against the Bianconeri is often costly - and in some style too - as Vlahovic doubled his tally with a Ronaldo-esque free-kick that kissed the underside of the bar on its way into the net on 37’.
Though needing a minor miracle after the break to turn the game around, Sassuolo did at least force Szczesny back into action when he produced a fine save to deny Domenico Berardi, though the fact that was again from distance showed just how they were struggling to break Juventus down.
Naturally, Juventus were unwilling to rest on their laurels, as Timothy Weah spurned an opportunity to rub salt in Sassuolo's wounds. Aside from that, the second half was something of a non-event, with just three shots on target between the two sides somewhat symptomatic of the struggles they faced throughout the evening in a goalscoring sense.
Victory was crucial for the Bianconeri, who wrapped up their victory in the dying moments when Chiesa fired home, as they continue to match Inter stride-for-stride at the Serie A summit.
The situation is much bleaker for Sassuolo, who just two points above the relegation zone, are starting to look increasingly vulnerable, after a 10th defeat in 12 visits to this part of Turin.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
