Vasilije Adzic scored in the 94th minute to give Sassuolo a dramatic 3-2 win over Juventus, while Napoli returned to winning ways against Bologna.
Sassuolo stun Juventus with dramatic stoppage-time winner
Vasilije Adzic came back to haunt his parent club in dramatic fashion on Sunday, scoring deep into stoppage time to give Sassuolo a 3-2 victory over Juventus and hand the Turin side their first Serie A defeat of the season. The Montenegrin midfielder, who is on loan from Juventus, struck in the 94th minute to settle a remarkable match that exploded into life during the final stages, with four goals scored after the 80th minute.
The result ended Juventus unbeaten start to the league campaign and extended their winless run to two matches. Sassuolo, meanwhile, continued their strong response after losing on the opening weekend and have now gone several rounds without defeat, moving level with Juventus on seven points.
For much of the match, there was little indication of the chaos that would follow. Sassuolo eventually made the breakthrough through Sebastiano Esposito in the 65th minute, but the final 15 minutes transformed the game completely. Juventus twice recovered from a losing position through Edon Zhegrova, only to concede the decisive goal with virtually the final action.
Esposito breaks the deadlock
The first goal arrived in the 65th minute, when Sebastiano Esposito put Sassuolo ahead and gave the home side something tangible to protect going into the closing stages. Until then, the match had remained finely balanced, but Esposito strike forced Juventus to become more aggressive in their search for an equaliser.
The visitors responded by turning to the bench. Edon Zhegrova was introduced in place of Portuguese winger Francisco Conceição, and the Kosovo international would soon become the central figure in the Juventus comeback attempt.
Zhegrova needed little time to make an impact. In the 80th minute, he found the equaliser to make it 1-1 and appeared to have restored control for Juventus at a crucial moment.
At that point, with only 10 minutes of normal time remaining, the momentum seemed to be shifting towards the visitors. Instead, the match became increasingly open and produced one of the most chaotic finishes of the Serie A weekend.
Four goals after the 80th minute
After Zhegrova first equaliser, both sides continued to push rather than settle for a point. Sassuolo regained the lead in the 89th minute through Scottish forward Kieron Bowie, seemingly putting themselves on course for victory.
The advantage lasted barely two minutes.
Juventus responded again in the first minute of stoppage time, with Zhegrova scoring his second goal of the match to make it 2-2. The substitute had now rescued his side twice and appeared to have earned Juventus at least a draw from a match that had repeatedly slipped away from them.
Yet there was still time for another twist.
In the 94th minute, Adzic scored the decisive third Sassuolo goal, completing a dramatic 3-2 victory and producing a particularly painful moment for Juventus given that the Montenegrin midfielder remains contracted to the Turin club.
The final quarter of an hour therefore featured four goals, two Juventus equalisers and one stoppage-time winner, turning what had been a relatively controlled contest into a frantic conclusion.
Adzic punishes his parent club
Adzic winner provided the match with an added layer of significance. Playing for Sassuolo on loan from Juventus, he was the player who ultimately inflicted the first league defeat of the season on his parent club.
The timing of the goal made the moment even more dramatic. Zhegrova had equalised only minutes earlier and Juventus appeared to have escaped with a point, but Sassuolo continued attacking and were rewarded right at the end.
For Adzic, it was a decisive intervention in a match where every late opportunity carried enormous weight. For Juventus, it was the worst possible way to lose after having twice managed to recover from a goal behind.
Zhegrova impact not enough for Juventus
Zhegrova could hardly have done more after entering the match. Replacing Francisco Conceição, the Kosovo international scored twice and twice dragged Juventus back into the contest.
His first goal in the 80th minute cancelled out Esposito opener, while his second in the 91st minute answered Bowie late strike and appeared to have salvaged a draw.
Despite that individual impact, Juventus defensive problems in the closing stages proved decisive. Conceding three times after the 65th minute, including twice in the final five minutes, left them without a point from a game in which they had shown considerable resilience going forward.
The defeat also extends Juventus winless run to two league matches. After avoiding defeat in the opening rounds, they have now lost momentum and remain on seven points.
Sassuolo continue recovery after opening defeat
Sassuolo have moved in the opposite direction. After losing in the opening round, the Neroverdi have responded strongly and remain unbeaten since then.
The victory over Juventus was their most significant result of the season so far, not only because of the quality of the opposition but also because of the way they repeatedly responded whenever the visitors threatened to regain control.
Esposito provided the first lead, Bowie restored it after Zhegrova equaliser and Adzic delivered the final blow after Juventus second comeback.
The result moves Sassuolo onto seven points, level with Juventus, and gives them further confidence after their difficult start to the campaign.
Juventus drop to eighth after first defeat
Juventus now sit eighth with seven points and face the challenge of responding quickly after a result that will be particularly frustrating given the circumstances.
The Turin side showed character by equalising twice, but their inability to control the final minutes ultimately cost them. A point had appeared within reach after Zhegrova second goal, only for Adzic to score almost immediately afterwards.
Two consecutive matches without victory have interrupted their positive start and left them needing to rediscover consistency as the Serie A table begins to take shape.
Sassuolo, also on seven points, have now put together a far more encouraging run after the opening defeat and will view the victory as evidence that they can compete against stronger opposition.
Napoli return to winning ways
Elsewhere in Serie A, Napoli ended a run of two defeats with a narrow 1-0 home victory over Bologna.
After a difficult spell, Napoli needed a result to stabilise their start to the season and eventually found the breakthrough in the second half. Slovakia international Stanislav Lobotka scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute.
Unlike the dramatic finish between Sassuolo and Juventus, Napoli victory was built on protecting a narrow advantage. Once Lobotka had put the hosts ahead, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
The three points lift Napoli onto six points and into 10th place, giving them a much-needed response after consecutive defeats.
Bologna remain near the bottom
Bologna problems continue after another match without a positive result. The defeat leaves them 17th with only one point, keeping them close to the bottom of the table.
They were able to keep the contest competitive for more than an hour, but Lobotka goal proved enough to separate the sides.
For Napoli, the importance of the victory extended beyond the scoreline. Following two losses, another setback would have increased the pressure significantly, whereas the win allows them to begin rebuilding confidence.
A dramatic Serie A evening
The main story of the day, however, came from Sassuolo, where a match that had been level and relatively controlled for long periods turned into a five-goal thriller.
Esposito opened the scoring, Zhegrova equalised, Bowie restored Sassuolo advantage, Zhegrova struck again in stoppage time and Adzic then produced the final and decisive moment.
For Juventus, the defeat will be especially difficult to accept because they recovered twice and were only seconds away from leaving with a point. For Sassuolo, it was a result that underlined both their resilience and their ability to keep pushing even after conceding late.
Adzic role will inevitably attract the most attention. The midfielder on loan from Juventus was the player who ended his parent club unbeaten league start, scoring in the 94th minute to complete a remarkable 3-2 victory.
The result leaves Juventus and Sassuolo level on seven points, while Napoli move just behind them on six after returning to winning ways against Bologna. With the early Serie A table still tightly packed, the latest round has already shown how quickly momentum can shift, and Juventus are the side now looking for a response after their first defeat of the campaign.
