Guglielmo Vicario demands accountability after late defensive chaos sees Juventus fall to Sassuolo

The Bianconeri looked to have rescued a point after twice coming from behind, but a complete lack of tactical discipline in the dying seconds allowed Vasilije Adzic to snatch a winner for the hosts. Vicario, who has been a standout performer since joining on loan from Tottenham, was seen screaming at his defenders as the final whistle blew, clearly incensed by the manner in which the game was thrown away.

The match was a defensive nightmare for the visitors, who saw their offside trap breached repeatedly throughout the evening. Goals from Sebastiano Esposito and Kieron Bowie had twice put Sassuolo in the lead, exposing a high line that seemed poorly coordinated and lacked communication. While Edon Zhegrova’s individual brilliance brought Juve back into the game with two solo strikes, the collective failure to secure the defensive third ultimately proved fatal.

Vicario made it clear that the nature of the goals conceded was something the squad had specifically worked on preventing. Speaking to DAZN after the match, Vicario was blunt in his assessment of the team's mental application. "There is great bitterness, because I understand the desire to go and win the game, because we are Juventus and it is our obligation to aim for victory every time, but we lost our balance and we talked all week about this," the 29-year-old goalkeeper explained.

"Juventus cannot concede two goals like that. This is a club with a glorious history and we cannot allow goals like that. We need to be more calm and balanced, because we have a team full of quality, and we will be able to create chances."

Juventus are currently navigating a difficult period with several key players sidelined, most notably captain Manuel Locatelli. The midfielder is expected to be out for four to six months following meniscus surgery, leaving a significant void in the engine room. When asked if the team was suffering due to the absence of their leader, Vicario refused to use the injury crisis as a shield for the performance.

"We’re sad to be losing Manuel, but it’s a long-term injury, and we do have players of quality in the squad. We can’t just keep seeking excuses," Vicario stated.

This result comes as a significant blow to momentum, especially considering the Bianconeri had managed to steal a result in similar circumstances just a week prior. On that occasion, Federico Gatti emerged from the bench to secure a late 1-1 draw against Milan. When questioned on whether the result left the dressing room feeling more anger or regret, Vicario admitted that both emotions were currently high within the group. The goalkeeper emphasized that a club of Juventus' stature must have the maturity to manage game states, especially after working so hard to get back on level terms.

"In my view both, because we had managed to turn the tide in our favour. We must be able to control these moments of the match better, because we’ve got the quality," he noted.