Locatelli Penalty Miss Costs Juventus in Draw with Sassuolo
TURIN, ITALY – A late penalty miss by Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli denied the Bianconeri a crucial victory against Sassuolo on Sunday, leaving them to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium. The result leaves Juventus outside the Serie A top four, intensifying the race for Champions League qualification.
Andrea Pinamonti’s second-half equalizer for Sassuolo cancelled out Kenan Yildiz’s first-half opener, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The match, played in Turin, saw Juventus dominate possession but ultimately frustrated by a resilient Sassuolo side and a costly miss from the spot.
Early Juventus Breakthrough
Juventus took the lead in the 14th minute through a well-worked counter-attack. A long ball from goalkeeper Mattia Perin found Francisco Conceicao on the right wing, who quickly played a pass into the path of Yildiz. The young forward calmly finished from inside the penalty area, giving Juventus the advantage.
Sassuolo threatened before halftime, with Jay Idzes heading over the bar from a Domenico Berardi corner. However, Juventus held firm, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Pinamonti Levels the Score
The second half saw Sassuolo emerge with renewed intent. Pinamonti leveled the score in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on space to head home a precise cross from Berardi. The goal brought the visitors back into the contest and injected a new level of energy into their play.
Late Drama and a Missed Opportunity
The game appeared destined for a draw until the 85th minute when Sassuolo’s Idzes was penalized for a handball after a VAR review. Locatelli stepped up to take the penalty, but his effort was well-saved by Arijanet Muric, preserving the deadlock.
Muric wasn’t finished there. Immediately after the penalty save, the Sassuolo goalkeeper produced a stunning reflex save to deny Dusan Vlahovic’s close-range header, securing a hard-fought point for his team. The late saves underscored Sassuolo’s determination and Juventus’s growing frustration.
Yildiz Continues Impressive Form
Despite the dropped points, Kenan Yildiz’s goal was a significant milestone. The 20-year-vintage’s tenth goal of the Serie A season makes him the first non-Italian player in Juventus history to reach double figures before his 21st birthday. He is also one of only three players born in 2005 or later to have been involved in 15 or more goals across the top five European leagues this season, alongside Lamine Yamal (23) and Yan Diomande (16). Yildiz is the second Turkish player to score at least 10 goals in a single Serie A season since the introduction of three points for a win (since 1994-1995), following Hakan Calhanoglu in 2023-2024 (13).
However, the individual brilliance of Yildiz wasn’t enough to secure victory for Juventus. Despite dominating possession with 65.4% and generating an expected goals (xG) value of 2.13 compared to Sassuolo’s 0.48, the Bianconeri were unable to convert their dominance into three points.
Penalty Woes for Juventus
Juventus’s penalty woes continued, missing their third spot-kick of the Serie A season. This equals a league record shared with Como and Genoa. The missed penalty proved to be a turning point, denying Juventus the opportunity to climb into the top four.
Pinamonti’s Consistent Impact
For Sassuolo, Andrea Pinamonti continued his impressive form. With seven goals and three assists, he is one of only two Italian players to have been involved in at least 10 goals in each of the last three Serie A seasons, alongside Federico Dimarco of Inter.
The draw leaves Juventus facing an uphill battle to secure a Champions League spot, while Sassuolo will be pleased with a valuable point on the road.
This article is based on verified information available as of March 22, 2026.
What’s Next?
Juventus will travel to face Fiorentina next Saturday, March 28th, in another crucial Serie A encounter. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 CET (14:45 ET). Sassuolo will host Hellas Verona on the same day.
Stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of Serie A and all the latest developments from the world of football.
