Sassuolo 1-2 Juventus: Late Kean winner puts Bianconeri well on course for Champions League

Moise Kean came off the bench to score a late winner as Juventus took a big stride towards securing a Champions League place with a 2-1 victory at Sassuolo.

Sassuolo were much the better side in the first half of the Serie A clash at MAPEI Stadium – Citta del Tricolore on Monday and they were rewarded when Giacomo Raspadori put them in front.

Paulo Dybala equalised on the stroke of half-time, though, and substitute Kean’s first goal for two months in the 88th minute snatched a huge win for the Bianconeri.

Juve remain in fourth place with four games to play, eight points better off than Roma in fifth spot and just one behind Napoli.

Raspadori went close with a thunderous drive early on and Juve had another scare when Davide Frattesi headed Domenico Berardi’s corner just over.

Wojciech Szczesny produced a brilliant reflex save to keep out a fierce strike from Gianluca Scamacca, but the Juve goalkeeper should have done better to stop a deserved Sassuolo opener in the 38th minute.

Berardi’s clever flick in the penalty area set up the onrushing Raspadori, who beat Szczesny too easily at his near post with a left-footed finish.

Juve were fortune to only be one goal down, but they were level just before half-time, when Dybala lashed into the roof of the net and the goal stood following a VAR check on a possible foul by Alvaro Morata, who nearly put the visitors in front with a header that was palmed away by Andrea Consigli.

Dusan Vlahovic soon entered the fray but it was fellow substitute Kean who ultimately snatched the points for Juve when he turned his man and drilled a low finish under Consigli.