Juventus will be keen to keep the pressure on Inter Milan when they take on Fiorentina on Sunday.
Italian giants Juventus are quietly going about their business this season and will now travel to the Artemio Franchi Stadium to take on Fiorentina this Sunday.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men have not won the Scudetto for three seasons now. While Inter Milan continue to lead the standings, the Bianconeri are not far behind in second spot. A win on the night could even see the Turin giants take top spot should Inter fail to beat Atalanta on Saturday.
Juventus have scored just 16 goals in Serie A this season, the least of the sides currently occupying the top five spots in the league. However, they have conceded a mere six goals, with the defence holding fast.
In fact, Juventus have kept seven clean sheets in their opening ten games, more than they have ever managed before at this stage of the campaign. Fiorentina will need to be at their clinical best to get the better of their vaunted opponents.
La Viola enjoyed a blistering start to the season, but consecutive losses over the last two game-weeks have seen them slip down the standings. With home support to boot, they will be keen to get their campaign back on track.
Matches between the two teams have never been short of drama or fight. Sunday promises to be no different. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
ACF Fiorentina
Countdown…#FiorentinaJuventus ⏳#ForzaViola #Fiorentina #ACFFiorentina pic.twitter.com/VjQHzy9vYk
— ACF Fiorentina English (@ACFFiorentinaEN) November 3, 2023
Fiorentina are coming off a frustrating loss to Lazio but should be fired up to face arch-rivals Juventus. Both teams played out a 1-1 draw last season in the corresponding fixture that also saw Luka Jovic miss a penalty.
The home side will be keen to put the record straight this time and will also want to snap their two game losing streak. A victory against Juventus will not just give them bragging rights but also momentum that can be built upon.
More so, Fiorentina will also welcome former duo Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa to the Artemio Franchi Stadium. Both players should expect a very ‘generous’ welcome from the Viola faithful. The duo could start upfront against their former side.
Vincenzo Italiano will be without Dodo and Michael Kayode for the game. Yerry Mina and Gaetano Castrovilli also look set to sit this game out as they recover from knocks. The home side are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Pietro Terracciano in goal. He will be protected by the back four of Fabiano Parisi, Lucas Martínez Quarta, Nikola Milenkovic and Cristiano Biraghi.
Alfred Duncan and Juventus loanee Arthur Melo should form the double pivot and will aim to set the pace of the match. The latter, in particular, should be motivated enough to put his foot in when needed. Nicolas Gonzalez, Giacomo Bonaventura and Jonathan Ikone should serve as the creative masterminds behind striker Lucas Beltran in the Viola attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Parisi, Martinez Quarta, Milenkovic, Biraghi; Duncan, Arthur; Gonzalez, Bonaventura, Ikone; Beltran
Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri is dealing with several injuries in his roster, and he deserves credit for ensuring Juventus stay in the hunt for a first Scudetto in four years.
Defensive solidity forms the foundations of the Bianconeri’s fortunes and so far, they have gotten off to a fine start this season. With just two points separating them from league leaders Inter Milan heading into the weekend, one could argue that the Turin giants are back in contention.
Juventus’s stunning win at San Siro against AC Milan last month was backed up with a last second victory against Hellas Verona last time around. While it might have been less than convincing, such moments help build momentum and Juventus are flush with it.
Fiorentina are no easy side to face, and the rivalry between the two sides only adds to the spice. Allegri’s task is not made easy thanks to the absence of Mattia Di Sciglio, Alex Sandro, Danilo and Timothy Weah. Midfielders Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are both currently suspended, and it is unsure when and if they will return to action in a Juventus jersey.
Con la testa a #FiorentinaJuve 🔜⚽ pic.twitter.com/j1wR2fhyHH
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) November 3, 2023
The visitors are likely to line up in a 5-3-2 formation, with Wojciech Szczesny in goal. He will be protected by the centre-back trio of Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani.
Filip Kostic and Andrea Cambiaso should provide the width from the wing-back positions. The duo will also be expected to drop deeper and form a back five should Fiorentina seize the initiative.
The midfield trio of Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot will hope to set the narrative in the middle of the park and dictate the tone of the game. Former Fiorentina duo Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic will start upfront and will hope to silence their former supporters on the night.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani; Cambiaso, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Vlahovic
Key Stats
- Juventus have defeated Fiorentina 80 times in Serie A so far. La Viola have not experienced more league defeats to any other side in the Italian top flight.
- Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last four home games against Juventus in Serie A. This is their longest such run since a 10 match streak from 1983-1992.
- A scoreless loss on the night will see Fiorentina lose three consecutive games without finding the back of the net for the first time since 2019.
- A scoreless night out will see Fiorentina go two consecutive home games without scoring for the first time since 2019.
- Juventus have kept seven clean sheets in their opening 10 Serie A games this season, their bets such start in history.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
The former Fiorentina man has not hit the same numbers at Juventus but remains the visitors ace striker on the night. His ability to turn the heat on and make the most of opportunities in the box is peerless.
With Federico Chiesa expected to drop deeper and play the number 10 role, Vlahovic will be the focal point of Juventus’s attack. Starving him of service could blunt an already unimaginative Bianconeri frontline.
Prediction
ACF Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus
With neither side really hitting the zenith of attacking nous, it promises to be a closely-fought contest with few goals in between. There should be no love lost between the arch-rivals and the game is likely to be a heated encounter. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard fought 1-1 draw with both sides sharing the spoils.
