Sassuolo vs. Juventus match preview: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch the Serie A

When wanting on the string of mid- and lower-table opponents Juventus had on the schedule to start 2026, it was the second fixture of the brand new yr that was going to be checked out as the largest potential entice sport. Because it turned out, it solely took Luciano Spalletti’s squad 90 minutes into January to choose up a disappointing (or no matter phrase or phrases you wish to use to explain what occurred on Saturday evening) outcome towards an opponent they’d no enterprise doing such towards.

However that second fixture of 2026 has shortly arrived due to the jam-packed January that’s afoot for Juventus.

As a lot as there shall be near per week off between Matchday 19 and Matchday 20, the short turnaround between the ultimate two fixtures of the andata doesn’t permit Spalletti a lot time to attempt to flush what occurred towards Lecce over the weekend.

Possibly that can show to be what his Juventus group wants as they head into Tuesday evening’s tough fixture on the street on the Mapei Stadium. However the reality stays that Juventus head to a stadium wherein they haven’t been in a few years and has been a spot wherein some excellent and dangerous issues have occurred over time in want of three factors as soon as extra. The issue is that Juve shall be dealing with a Sassuolo facet that has spent a lot of the primary half of their return season to Serie A within the prime half of the desk. That’s the reason this fixture, not the one Juve performed over the weekend, was regarded as the far more difficult fixture regardless that Juve’s schedule on the entire is fairly favorable for a lot of January earlier than they see the return of the Champions League after which face Napoli in Turin.

Sassuolo at present sit in tenth place within the Serie A desk. They’ve spent a very good portion of the season in the next place than that with solely a current run of 1 win of their final six video games slowing down a really spectacular begin to life again in Serie A for Fabio Grosso’s squad.

Over this current stretch, Sassuolo have abruptly discovered themselves in one of many worst runs of kind within the league. They’ve scored targets — seven in these final six video games — however they’re additionally doing a poor job of stopping their opponents from scoring, too, with a protection permitting eight targets over that span. Their lone win has come towards, Fiorentina, a group that up till this previous weekend was sitting on the backside of the league desk. They’ve misplaced to Como and Torino, but in addition gotten attracts towards AC Milan and Bologna. So there’s some good ends in there towards European rivals regardless of some very apparent slip-ups as properly.

So it’s fairly straightforward to see that it’s been laborious to foretell which Sassuolo will present up lately.

Then once more, you may say that for Juventus a number of the time this season, too — which is why we’ve seen them change managers once they did and nonetheless battle to shake the notion that they’re solely going to proceed to be their very own worst enemy like they have been this previous weekend.

Juventus bought the assistance they wanted on the subject of the desk and now sit in fourth place forward of Roma on aim differential. A win over Lecce over the weekend would have meant they have been forward by a few factors, nevertheless it’s not essentially straightforward to assume that Juve would drop factors once they dominated within the vogue that they did on Saturday evening.

Dealing with Sassuolo has by no means been straightforward. They’re definitely one of many largest provincial thorns within the Bianconeri’s facet during the last decade or so. Dealing with Sassuolo at residence doesn’t make it any extra routine. Dealing with Sasuolo at residence and doing so three days after a tough outcome that had your budding star of a No. 10 wanting flat-out and fully emotionally spent as he reacted on the Allianz Stadium turf doesn’t make it any the less difficult.

If Juventus wish to be within the driver’s seat on the subject of the race for a spot within the prime 4, it’s these varieties of adverse fixtures towards mid-table golf equipment that they will have to start out successful repeatedly once more. They’re in fourth place — albeit simply barely — and now it’s about making an attempt to remain there. (Plus, go try who Roma are enjoying to complete up the primary half of the season. Possibly lightning will strike twice inside a couple of days.)

One of many defining moments — and never in a great way — from Juventus’ draw with Lecce grew to become the cross-field go that Andrea Cambiaso tried proper because the clock ticked previous the forty fifth minute. There’s in all probability a very good variety of us who’re nonetheless questioning who that go was meant for as a result of it definitely didn’t come near any of his Juventus teammates.

It ended up being the newest occasion in what’s turning into a protracted checklist of errors that the 25-year-old Italian has collected during the last 12 months as his total kind has trended downward with out an finish in sight.

So, what offers? At this level, it’s laborious to inform. Nevertheless it’s secure to say Juventus can’t afford to see him proceed to battle in this sort of method.

Which is the obvious assertion of apparent statements. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless true. As a result of as Spalletti rolled out a four-man protection for the primary time as Juventus supervisor, the juxtaposition of Cambiaso — a participant who is totally out of shape and much from the participant he was 12-14 months in the past — on the left and the mannequin of consistency in Pierre Kalulu on the proper couldn’t go unnoticed.

Then Cambiaso went out and immediately despatched a go into no man’s land and it resulted in a Lecce aim.

This was the newest chapter of Cambiaso’s struggles and one hell of a option to begin the 2026 calendar yr. The place it can cease is difficult to inform at this level. He’s a proficient participant, but in addition someone who’s both unable to get out of his personal head at this level or simply fully struggling to get again within the correct mind set following these rumors of Manchester Metropolis curiosity final winter. As a result of, as we are able to clearly see now, ever since these rumors went away and Metropolis went in a special path final January, Cambiaso’s kind — albeit with an early help from a lingering ankle harm — went fully wayward.

However Spalletti wants Cambiaso to in some way snap out of it. This group doesn’t have many different choices on the fullback or wingback place, so it’s not like abruptly benching Cambiaso might be one thing that may turn out to be an choice. (Filip Kostic as full-time starter in 2026? Do we actually need that to turn out to be a factor?)

So right here’s to hoping that Cambiaso’s second look in 2026 shall be like his first. That’s one thing I positive don’t wish to be reminded of once more.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.

The place: Mapei Stadium, Sassuolo, Italy.

Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe, 7:45 p.m. in the UK, 2:45 p.m. Japanese time, 1:45 p.m. Central time, 11:45 a.m. Pacific time.

Tv: TLN (Canada); TNT Sports activities 1 (United Kingdom).

On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Golazo Community, DAZN USA, Amazon Prime Video (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); DAZN UK (United Kingdom); DAZN Italia, Sky Go Italia (Italy).

Different stay viewing choices could be discovered right here, and as at all times, you may also observe together with us stay and all of the silly issues we are saying on Bluesky. For those who haven’t already, be a part of the neighborhood on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be a part of within the dialogue beneath.