Tandem Jay Idzes Makes a Suicide Goal, Sassuolo Fails to Stop Juventus
JAKARTA - Sassuolo's defense collapsed after the tandem of defender Jay Idzes scored a suicide goal that gave Juventus a 3-0 victory in an Italian Serie A match at the Mapei-Citta del Tricolore Stadium, Wednesday, January 7, 2026 WIB.
Idzes and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric had to work hard to hold off the waves of Juve's attack. The Bianconeri's offensive game can actually still be dampened by Sassuolo's back line.
How not, in the early minutes of the match, the young star of the Turkish national team Kenan Yildiz already threatened the Sassuolo goal.
Yildiz managed to snatch the ball from Sebastian Walukiewicz and then fired a shot that forced Muric to make a brilliant save.
Likewise, Andrea Cambiaso who tried to take advantage of the rebound because Muric could only hold the ball failed.
Next, Khephren Thuram got the chance to test Muric's ability. Again, Thuram failed to convert the opportunity he got.
It's just that Muric's defense finally broke down as a result of his own teammate's mistake. Center back Tarik Muharemovic who was Idzes' tandem in the heart of Sassuolo's defense actually wanted to hold off Pierre Kalulu's cross. However, his efforts actually made the ball slide into his own goal.
The goal that was created in the 16th minute made Juve ahead 1-0. After conceding, Sassuolo still tried to hold off the attack of Luciano Spalletti's team.
At least Muric again thwarted the chances of Weston Mckenzie and Yildiz who could actually increase Juve's lead.
On the other hand, Sassuolo's efforts to equalize the score were unsuccessful. Coach Fabio Grosso's efforts to get the team out of the pressure always failed. Juve's advantage did not change until the first half was over.
Entering the second half, Juve did not slow down the game. The advantage of ball possession made La Vecchia Signora able to dominate the game. It's just that Juve is still having trouble dealing with Sassuolo's defense, which is led by Idzes. Their attacks can always be thwarted.
After many failed attempts, Juve finally broke the deadlock through Fabio Miretti in the 62nd minute. It started with a long pass from goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio which was received by Jonathan David. He then gave the ball to Miretti who had passed two Sassuolo defenders before launching a shot that defeated Muric.
The goal killed Sassuolo's power. The players' mentality immediately collapsed because they felt they had no chance of equalizing the score. As it turned out, only a minute later, Idzes made a mistake. The Indonesian national team captain who was going to do a back-pass but the ball was successfully intercepted by David.
David managed to outwit Muric and then conquered Walukiewicz who tried to intercept the ball to break into the Sassuolo goal. David's goal was immediately greeted with joy by the players on the bench.
The attitude of the players and staff who celebrated David's goal and dispelled rumors that David could not integrate with the players and adapt to Juve. Especially after the Canadian national team player has not scored a goal. And, the goal against Sassuolo was the first of 16 matches in the domestic competition.
The score of 3-0 for Juve lasted until the end of the match. The victory maintained Juve's position in the top four or the Champions League zone. With 36 points, Juve is still three points behind Inter Milan who are at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo failed to improve their ranking after losing points at home. They were stuck in the middle of the table in 11th place. Idzes et al collected 23 points or the same as Torino but they lost by goal difference.