Terrific drama in the 90+4th minute!: Juventus loses to Sassuolo

One of the central and most intense clashes within the 4th round of the Italian Serie A provided fans with genuine adrenaline and an unbelievable dramatic scenario. In the fierce battle held at the Mapei Stadium, Turin's Juventus was a guest of Sassuolo, suffering a bitter 2:3 defeat due to a goal conceded in the very last added seconds. Although the main part of the match was goalless, a real "fire" started on the pitch after the 65th minute: despite Edon Zhegrova coming off the bench for the Turinese and scoring a brace to level the score twice, the hosts snatched victory in the 90+4th minute thanks to Adzich's strike.

Following this unexpected result, both clubs have accumulated 7 points each, occupying the 8th and 9th positions in the standings. Well, what gross mistakes did the Turin grand make in the 89th and 90+4th minutes, how did Sassuolo's bench change the game, and why couldn't the "Old Lady's" defense handle the pressure in the final minutes?

A 29-minute storm at Mapei: Chronology of 5 goals

The final half-hour of the match turned into one of the most entertaining moments in Serie A history:

• Esposito's first strike: In the 65th minute, hosts' striker Francesco Pio Esposito punished the Turinese defense to open the score and put Sassuolo ahead;

• Zhegrova's first response: Introduced by Thiago Motta / the coaching staff in the 60th minute, Zhegrova restored parity with a brilliant action in the 82nd minute — 1:1;

• The duel in the 89th and 90+1st minutes: A minute before the end of the game, substitute Bovie put Sassuolo ahead again, but two minutes later — in the 90+1st minute — Zhegrova scored another super goal to celebrate his brace (2:2);

• The unexpected point in the 90+4th minute: At a time when the match was expected to end in a draw, Adzich, who came on in the 71st minute, breached Vicario's goal in the 90+4th minute, rocking the Mapei stands — 3:2.

Battle of the substitutes: Tactical moves by Motta and Dionisi / Grosso

The fate of the match was directly decided through the skill of substitute players:

• Zhegrova — Juventus's only bright spot: Replacing Francisco Conceição, Zhegrova became the most productive player on the pitch, coming very close to saving his team from defeat twice;

• 100 percent effectiveness of Sassuolo's rotation: The hosts' coaching staff made three changes at once in the 71st minute (Bovie, Adzich, and Dominguez) — it was Bovie and Adzich who ultimately scored the winning goals and became true heroes;

• Attacking and defensive lineups: While Juve featured Vicario, Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumí, Çelik, Luiz, Koopmeiners, González, Conceição, Alajbegović, and Kolo Muani, Sassuolo relied on experienced forces such as Muric, Matić, Llorente, and Berardi.

The 7-point balance in the standings: The threat of falling behind the leaders' chase

This defeat dealt a serious blow to the Turin team's championship plans:

• Rivalry for 8th and 9th places: After 4 rounds, Juventus has 7 points and remained in 8th position on goal difference; Sassuolo, having gathered the same number of points, is in 9th place;

• Signal of instability in defense: The "Old Lady" conceding goals twice after the 90th minute indicates serious problems in the connection between the center of defense and the goalkeeper;

• Responsibility of upcoming rounds: At a time when leaders are pushing forward without losing points, such away points losses could expose Juventus to the risk of falling out of the championship race early.

This horrific 5-goal clash recorded at the Mapei Stadium once again proved that no grand team in Italian Serie A will have an easy time away and that the fight doesn't stop until the very last second.

In your opinion, was Juventus's defeat in the 90+4th minute caused by a tactical error of the coaching staff or the inattention of the team's defenders? Should Edon Zhegrova secure a permanent spot in the starting lineup after this game? Leave your thoughts in the comments and share this goal-rich dramatic Serie A thriller analysis with all football enthusiasts and your loved ones!