Locatelli squanders late spot-kick as Juventus settle for costly stalemate against Sassuolo

Approaching this fixture with five victories in seven outings at the Allianz Stadium across all tournaments (one draw, one loss), Juventus required their solid home record to persist to stay in contention for a top-four finish.

The home side surged ahead early, striking first within the initial 15 minutes, as Mattia Perins long clearance reached Francisco Conceicao, who spearheaded the break on the right flank, before veering inside and assisting Kenan Yildiz for a composed first-touch strike into the far corner.

Moments later, Yildiz compelled Arijanet Muric to make a save, with the keeper tipping away a dipping attempt, just before Andrea Pinamonti squandered an opportunity to equalise, nodding a corner kick astray from the back post.

Juventus displayed tidy build-up play, and Pierre Kalulu came close to extending the lead prior to half-time, yet the centre-back could not keep his curling effort on frame following another inventive move by Conceicao.

The visitors sought a reaction following a subdued opening 45 minutes, and it arrived promptly, seven minutes into the second half.

Having generated scant threats until then, quick interplay allowed Pinamonti to steal a march on Gleison Bremer and prod in Domenico Berardis low cross into the penalty area, restoring parity.

As expected, the Turin outfit pressed urgently to regain the upper hand, challenging Muric with a near-post effort from Jeremie Boga off Conceicaos exquisite right-wing cross.

And with four minutes remaining, Jay Idzes was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box, handing Locatelli a golden opportunity to secure the points. Yet Muric anticipated correctly, parrying a lacklustre shot to thwart Juventus from claiming a third consecutive Serie A success.

This draw fails to lift Luciano Spallettis team over Como, who hold the advantage on head-to-head records and have a game in hand this round.

Nonetheless, for all their respectable share of the spoils, Sassuolos solitary win in nine away fixtures versus teams positioned higher at kick-off underscores their current 11th place standing, rendering a late charge for Europe improbable at this juncture.