14 August 2022
It's been a hectic summer.
From long farewells to warm welcomes, including the classic initiation ritual, the playing squad has had a major makeover.
The US Tour powered by Jeep provided an opportunity for the new players to settle in, for the coach to try out new tactics and why not? - have some fun!
But now it is down to business.
Juventus wrap up the Matchday 1 fixtures welcoming Sassuolo to the Allianz Stadium. No team has had the better of the Neroverdi more than Juve in Serie A with 13 wins from the 18 meetings so far despite succumbing to defeat for the first time at home to the side from Emilia last term.
In the league the Bianconeri have always found the net at home against Sassuolo, the only team Juve have met more than six times and scored against each time. And with the newcomers keen to show their talent in front of the fans for the first time, Massimiliano Allegri will be confident his side can continue to maintain the 100% record on the scoring front.
Perhaps it was no surprise that in his pre-match press conference when asked which Juventus player he would take out of the team Sassuolo coach Alessio Dionisi focused on the players brought in this summer.
For talent and ability I would say Di Maria but Kostic is strong too. Bremer was perhaps the most consistent defender last season. Juve have signed some important players. Alessio Dionisi, Sassuolo Coach
For the first outing of the season Allegri already knows he can't count on Wojciech Szczesny and Paul Pogba, who have joined long-term absentees Kaio Jorge and Federico Chiesa on the treatment table. Weston McKennie however is available for selection. Meanwhile, also out because of a one-match ban carried over from last season are Adrien Rabiot and Moise Kean. The striker scored an 88th-minute winner in the most recent meeting, in April at the Mapei Stadium. In a strange twist of fate, the match winner from the first clash between the two teams last season, Sassuolo's Maxime Lopez, is also out suspended.
Without these two on the pitch someone else must step up to the mark.
As expected, Monday's opponents have also seen players come and go since the transfer market opened.
Click here to find out more about the ins and outs at Sassuolo this summer
In his inaugural pre-match press conference Allegri revealed that enthusiasm in the camp was sky high especially with the prospect of playing in front of a full house at the Allianz Stadium on the day Italy traditionally celebrates the height of the summer. According to the coach, this mid-August day the aim can be only one.
We are all under scrutiny, me, the players, everyone, but what we need to do is to win football matches - that’s our aim and that’s what we are setting out to do. Tomorrow we need to perform like Juventus knows how. Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus Coach
