Gonzalo Higuain’s brace, including a stunning volley, and Miralem Pjanic saw Juventus sweep aside Sassuolo 3-1 in the Serie A yesterday.
The Bianconeri gave Miralem Pjanic his debut, while it was the first time Higuain and Paulo Dybala started together, but Andrea Barzagli was rested.
Sassuolo had technically won their first two rounds, but the 2-1 victory against Pescara was overturned due to the irregular registration of Antonino Ragusa. They made the trip without injured Domenico Berardi and Gregoire Defrel, while Paolo Cannavaro and Simone Missiroli were rested for the Europa League.
It was an action-packed start, as Matteo Politano burst down the right and his low drive was fingertipped round the base of the near post by Gigi Buffon. However, Juve struck on the counter with Dybala feeding Higuain for a precise angled strike into the far bottom corner.
Sassuolo continued to push forward with Ragusa and Alfred Duncan, but Higuain scored with a moment of astounding quality. A loose ball was knocked up into the air and, surrounded by defenders, he managed to smash in a spectacular volley from 12 yards.
Dybala wasted a good chance by trying to set up Pipita for a hat-trick, then Leonardo Bonucci’s header from a corner whistled just wide.
The dominance was remarkable in Turin and debutant Pjanic got on the scoresheet too. Dybala had penalty appeals waved away, but the move continued and Pjanic’s header came off the bar, so the Bosnian pounced to tap in the rebound.
Sassuolo were shell-shocked, but got one back when Buffon missed a Politano corner and Alex Sandro’s defensive header ricocheted in off Luca Antei. It was the first goal the Neroverdi had scored here in their fourth visit.
After the restart Andrea Consigli beat away a Khedira snapshot, while in a double chance Pjanic forced a point-blank save and Alex Sandro flashed the follow-up across the face of goal.
Dybala got away from three defenders at the by-line with a delightful dummy to test Consigli at the near stick, then Giorgio Chiellini nodded wide from a corner.
Lichtsteiner fired straight at Consigli from six yards and a double tackle stopped him getting the rebound. Politano’s fine run turned into an assist for Ragusa, who was offside when redirecting it on to the upright.
Sassuolo had penalty appeals waved away for a Chiellini handball on Pietro Iemmello’s header. Substitute Mario Mandzukic saw his angled drive saved after a Dybala through ball, then Francesco Acerbi was decisive to stop a Dybala tap-in after Pjanic’s stone-cold first touch on a long Bonucci pass.
Yet Sassuolo so nearly made it 3-2 in the final minutes when Politano sprung the offside trap on Federico Ricci’s pass, went round Buffon and was only denied by a Lichtsteiner goal-line clearance.
Sassuolo were without Domenico Berardi, the club’s star striker who has been a proven threat against some of the biggest clubs in Serie A. Berardi, who is sidelined through injury, is expected to join Juventus next year following an agreement between the clubs earlier this summer. Having already become the youngest Italian player since the 1994-95 season to score 40 goals in Serie A, Berardi is already a household name in Italian football.
Juventus coach Massimiliano rested Dani Alves and Andrea Barzagli yesterday ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League fixture Sevilla FC for their opening Group G Champions League clash.  Sassuolo are in action in Europe too as the Tuscans embark on the group stage of their continental campaign against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.