Juventus recovered from a goal down and then from another late deficit at the MAPEI Stadium, yet Sassuolo still found the last word. Vasilije Adzic struck in the 94th minute to secure a 3-2 home victory on Sunday evening, turning a frantic finish into one of the defining early scenes of Serie A matchday four.
Key takeaways
- Sassuolo beat Juventus 3-2 at the MAPEI Stadium – Città del Tricolore on 13 September 2026.
- Sebastiano Esposito opened the scoring in the 65th minute from Nemanja Matic’s pass.
- Edon Zhegrova came off the Juventus bench to score twice, including an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time.
- Kieron Bowie restored Sassuolo’s lead in the 89th minute after Darryl Bakola’s assist.
- Adzic, introduced in the 71st minute, sealed the contest on a Laurienté-led counterattack four minutes into added time.
Sassuolo 3-2 Juventus: Adzic decides an extraordinary finale
For much of the evening, Juventus had reason to believe they could impose themselves on a match that began with a warning. Nico González hit the crossbar from outside the area in the second minute after Kerim Alajbegovic’s lay-off, an early opportunity that might have altered the rhythm of the contest.
Instead, the first half developed into a more balanced contest. Juventus created a succession of set-piece situations, while Sassuolo threatened through Domenico Berardi, Josh Doig and Esposito. Berardi forced a low save after combining with Esposito, while Doig and Esposito both sent efforts narrowly off target. At the other end, Teun Koopmeiners and Francisco Conceição tested Arijanet Muric from range, but neither side found a breakthrough before the interval.
Juventus made a defensive change at half-time, with Lloyd Kelly replacing Jhon Lucumí, who had been booked for a dangerous challenge on Esposito. The visitors resumed with intent: Alajbegovic had an early long-range shot saved, Nico González missed from outside the box, and Douglas Luiz later drew another stop after Kolo Muani set him up.
Sassuolo, though, carried their own threat. Berardi was denied shortly after the restart, Jay Idzes headed wide from a Laurienté corner, and the home side eventually made their pressure count on 65 minutes. Matic supplied Esposito in the penalty area, and the forward drove a right-footed finish low inside the left post for 1-0.
That goal changed the demands on Juventus. The visitors brought on Nick Woltemade and Zhegrova on the hour, before Pape Matar Sarr followed for Koopmeiners. Zhegrova quickly became central to their attacking push, creating openings for Alajbegovic and Woltemade as Juventus pressed Sassuolo back.
Woltemade headed narrowly wide from close range after a Zhegrova corner, while Alajbegovic and Zeki Çelik also tested Muric or saw efforts blocked. The equaliser finally arrived in the 82nd minute, when Zhegrova collected the ball in the middle of the area and placed a left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner.
Sassuolo had already reshaped their side by then. Bakola had replaced Luca Lipani, while Benja Domínguez, Bowie and Adzic entered in a triple attacking adjustment around the 70th minute. Jay Idzes was then forced off injured, with Duje Ćaleta-Car taking his place.
The substitutions decided the closing chapter. In the 89th minute, Bakola supplied Bowie, who finished low with his left foot from the centre of the box to put Sassuolo back in front. Juventus responded immediately in the added time announced by the fourth official. Kolo Muani set up Zhegrova, who struck with his left foot from the right side of the area to make it 2-2 in the 91st minute.
There was still one final turn. After Fedde Leysen was booked for a dangerous foul, Sassuolo broke forward in the 94th minute. Laurienté delivered the decisive assist and Adzic, arriving through the middle, powered a right-footed effort into the top-right corner.
It was the final act of a match in which Juventus had repeatedly found a route back, only for Sassuolo to show greater composure in the final transition. The home club had lost their first-half lead only briefly; their replacements supplied the decisive edge, and Adzic’s late intervention ensured the points stayed in Reggio Emilia.
A night shaped by late changes
Sassuolo’s winning goal was especially significant because Adzic had earlier seen a move halted for offside after Bakola attempted to send him through. His eventual goal was therefore not simply a stoppage-time finish, but the reward for Sassuolo continuing to attack after Juventus had levelled for a second time.
Juventus will reflect on the volume of their second-half pressure. Zhegrova’s two goals and his involvement in several other chances gave the visitors a route into the match, while Woltemade, Alajbegovic, Douglas Luiz and Kolo Muani all had moments around the Sassuolo area. Yet their recovery at 2-2 lasted only three minutes before the counterattack that settled the evening.
There were also disciplinary cautions for Lucumí, Douglas Luiz, Lipani and Leysen, but the lasting image was of a match that refused to settle. Sassuolo took the lead, Juventus answered, Sassuolo struck again, Juventus again found an equaliser, and then Adzic delivered the finish that made the fourth round feel like a proper September turning point.
SEO title: Sassuolo 3-2 Juventus: Vasilije Adzic scores late Serie A winner
SEO description: Sassuolo defeated Juventus 3-2 in Serie A as Vasilije Adzic scored in the 94th minute after Edon Zhegrova had twice brought Juventus level.
