Juventus combined clinical finishing with sheer second half control to condemn European chasing Fiorentina to their third straight away defeat on Saturday night.
A capacity crowd at Juventus Stadium witnessed the hosts come through a tricky test unscathed as the Viola were put to the sword by first half finishes from strike partnership Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri.
Despite the Bianconeri’s dominance throughout, the statistics dictate that it wasn’t all plain sailing for Antonio Conte’s men. The visitors shaded the possession stakes (52% to 48%), enjoyed a higher pass completion rate (68.3% to 66.5%) and forced a greater number of corners (5 to 4).
But Juventus’ attacking persistence gave them the edge over the 90 minutes. Urged on by a passionate support, the hosts chalked up 17 shots on goal, with seven of these calling Emiliano Viviano into action. Down the other end, Gigi Buffon was made to work on five occasions.
Individually speaking, the Montenegrin duel between Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic finished honours even, with both trying their luck four times apiece, while man-of-the-match Andrea Pirlo was at his metronomic best, topping the completed passes index with 80 and providing the focal point of Bianconeri attacks from start to finish.
Elsewhere, Andrea Barzagli, who led by example as the senior member of Juventus’ backline, made the most interceptions of the night (25), marginally ahead of midfield warrior Arturo Vidal’s figure of 18.
Source: Juventus.com
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