Roberto De Zerbi warned “only those who dream of a victory can get on the team bus” as second-place Sassuolo take on Juventus.
It kicks off at 14.00 UK time (13.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
The Neroverdi are still unbeaten after three rounds, the only other side with that record apart from today’s opponents Juve, having beaten Inter and Genoa with a 2-2 draw at Cagliari.
Roberto De Zerbi warned “only those who dream of a victory can get on the team bus” as second-place Sassuolo take on Juventus.
It kicks off at 14.00 UK time (13.00 GMT), click here for a match preview.
The Neroverdi are still unbeaten after three rounds, the only other side with that record apart from today’s opponents Juve, having beaten Inter and Genoa with a 2-2 draw at Cagliari.
“This is a top of the table clash, that’s what the results tell us,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“We had three good performances and seven points we fully deserved. We’re going to Turin in order to pick up points and not with the idea we’ve got nothing to lose, because otherwise we’ve already lost.
“The break for international duty allowed us to work well in training and also give the players a couple of days to rest. We prepared everything we could, fully aware that we are taking on the strongest side in Serie A and probably the best in Europe this season too.”
Sassuolo have a very poor record against Juve and lost all five previous trips to Turin.
This and the strong transfer synergy between the clubs has prompted some to call them ‘Scansuolo’ – with scansa meaning to get out of the way.
“When I was young, people would go to the local café and debate everything, now it happens on social media. The difference was that at the bar you said things to people’s faces, whereas with social media you can hide away,” noted De Zerbi.
“If Juve won seven Serie A titles in a row, it means they won many games and not just against Sassuolo. This is a solid club and last season at Benevento we didn’t give anyone an easy ride, not even when we were already relegated.
“I told the players that any of them could be in the starting XI, as they should all feel like protagonists. We can’t dominate the game for 90 minutes in Turin, but we can try to find and attack any weaknesses we spot.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, but reducing Juve to just Ronaldo is the wrong way to look at it. We have to face this game with the right attitude and pride. Only those who are dreaming of a win can get on that team bus to the stadium.”
Sassuolo squad for Juventus: Campani, Consigli, Pegolo; Marlon, Lemos, Rogerio, Sernicola, Lirola, Magnani, Ferrari, Dell’Orco, Adjapong; Magnanelli, Djuricic, Sensi, Duncan, Bourabia, Locatelli; Matri, Boga, Berardi, Boateng, Babacar, Di Francesco, Brignola