Luciano Spalletti cautioned Juventus against exhibiting “arrogance” given the severe situation facing Sassuolo due to a whooping cough outbreak. Concurrently, he welcomed Dusan Vlahovic’s return and expressed confidence in Jeremie Boga’s new playing role.
The match is scheduled to kick off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium today at 19:45 GMT.
Sassuolo finds itself in an extremely challenging position: one confirmed case of whooping cough within the squad and four additional players isolated after showing symptoms. Although the club hasn’t publicly named individuals due to privacy concerns, Nemanja Matic, Kristian Thorstvedt, Woyo Coulibaly, and Stefano Turati are notably absent. The Neroverdi were already missing injured Fali Candé, Alieu Fadera, Daniel Boloca, and Edoardo Pieragnolo, yet Spalletti refused to see this as a definitive advantage for his team.
Spalletti Does Not Expect an Easy Match Against Struggling Sassuolo
“Any team typically has 15-16 first-choice players. Naturally, some play more, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t valuable,” Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia. “I recall during the COVID era when Napoli had only 13 players, and we managed a draw with a wonderful Mertens goal. Such situations can either breed arrogance if you’re not intelligent enough to handle the news correctly, or conversely, provide extra motivation to put in more effort and support your teammates.”
The Bianconeri have reignited their pursuit of a Champions League spot, spurred by a 3-3 draw against Roma, followed by two consecutive Serie A victories over Pisa and Udinese.
A key factor in this resurgence has been the switch to a 4-3-3 formation, with Jeremie Boga now starting as the central forward instead of being introduced at half-time, sending Jonathan David to the bench.
“I asked everyone who had worked with Boga, and they all said he should play on the left, but when I positioned him centrally, he proved he knows how to hurt opposition centre-backs,” Spalletti explained. “If he has 10 meters of space behind him, he can exploit that with a lethal change of pace; it’s impossible to keep up with him. So, we’ll strive to maximize that, along with his technique, as he’s excellent with the ball at his feet.”
Dusan Vlahovic makes his return to the bench for the first time since November 29, when he sustained a serious thigh injury. His future at the club remains uncertain, with his contract expiring on June 30.
“Arek Milik is also on the bench, so we have four central forwards among our substitutes. Vlahovic is doing well; naturally, he has different characteristics. He had significant difficulty adhering to the recovery protocols after a very serious injury, but now that we are at the end of that process, we will try not to cause any further damage.”