Last Update: April 17, 2023, 01:07 IST
Juventus will face Sporting in Lisbon in their Europa League return leg on Thursday. (Image: Juventus FC / Twitter)
Juve, seventh in the standings with 44 points, missed the chance to close the gap on the top six and remain four points behind Atalanta
Juventus lost 1-0 at Sassuolo after a second-half goal by substitute Gregoire Defrel earned the points in Serie A on Sunday, condemning Massimiliano Allegri’s side to consecutive league defeats for the first time this season.
Juve, seventh in the standings with 44 points, missed the chance to close the gap on the top six and remain four points behind Atalanta, who visit ninth-placed Fiorentina on Monday.
For Juventus, who took a small step towards the Europa League last four with a 1-0 home win over Sporting in their quarter-final first leg on Thursday, it was their first consecutive defeat in Serie A since October 2021.
Juve lost 2-1 to Lazio in their last league outing.
After a cautious start on Sunday, the match came to life when Sassuolo midfielder Maxime Lopez tested Juventus goalkeeper Mattia Perrin with a header in the 55th minute.
A minute later, Perrin pulled off another superb save to keep out Defrel’s high header for a corner.
However, the halftime substitute finally broke the deadlock in the 64th minute, firing inside the right post on the rebound following a corner.
Juve came close to finding an equalizer nine minutes later through Adrien Rabiot, who leapt inside the box to connect with Angel Di Maria’s corner, but keeper Andrea Consigli brilliantly curled the ball over the bar.
Di Maria, who had replaced Arkadiusz Milik just before the hour, had a chance 15 minutes from time when he met a superb cross from Federico Chiesa but missed the target.
Allegri brought on Paul Pogba in the final 10 minutes for the Frenchman’s third league appearance of an injury-plagued season but the Turin side came no closer to scoring.
Juventus, for whom winning the Europa League remains their most likely route into next season’s Champions League, will face Sporting in Lisbon in their Europa League return leg on Thursday before hosting runaway Serie A leaders Napoli next Sunday.
Sassuolo, who have moved up three places to 10th place with 40 points from 30 games, travel to Salernitana on Saturday.
Sixteenth-placed Lecce, five points above the relegation zone, drew 1–1 at home to Sampdoria, who are at the bottom of the table, 10 points behind the safety line, while Torino, in 11th place, had the same scoreline against 15th. kept Salernitana.
read all Latest sports newscheck out orange cap And purple cap holder details here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
