Serie A Preview: Fiorentina - Juventus
What: Italian Serie A Who: Fiorentina (12 pts., 3rd) vs. Juventus (13 pts., 2nd) When: Sunday October 7, 15:00 (CET) Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
The match of week seven sees second-placed Juventus travel to Florence to meet third-placed Fiorentina. The atmosphere in the Artemio Franchi is sure to be a hostile one as these two teams have one of the bitterest rivalries in Italian football.
Bitter Rivalry
The hatred really originated in the 1981-82 season. Both teams were challenging for the league title and went into the final day of the campaign level on points at the top.
Fiorentina could only manage a goalless draw at Cagliari after having a seemingly perfectly good goal disallowed, while Juventus were awarded a debatable penalty at Catanzaro, which Liam Brady converted to give them a 1-0 victory.
Ever since this day Juventus have always been enemy number one in the eyes of the Viola fans, who felt that their team had been robbed of the Scudetto. Relations between the clubs got worse in 1990 when Fiorentina's Golden Boy Roberto Baggio moved to the Bianconeri on the eve of the 1990 World Cup. Riots broke out all over Florence when news filtered through of the transfer.
1994 And 'That Goal’ By Del Piero
Clashes between Fiorentina and Juventus usually produce a lot of goals. In 2001 Enrico Chiesa scored two absolute screamers in a 3-3 draw at the Delle Alpi, but perhaps the most memorable match of recent times was during Marcello Lippi's maiden Scudetto-winning year in 1994/95.
With 17 minutes to go in Turin, Fiorentina led 2-0 thanks to goals by Francesco Baiano and Angelo Carbone. Gianluca Vialli then scored a quick-fire double to draw Juventus level, before a 20-year-old Alessandro Del Piero completed one of the greatest-ever Serie A comebacks with the winner in the 89th minute. The Golden Boy got onto the end of a 60-yard long-ball to hook a stunning first-time volley into the top-corner. The goal will probably go down as the best of Del Piero’s career.
Other Sub-Plots
There are a number of other sub-plots to the game. Adrian Mutu, Christian Vieri and Federico Balzaretti are former Bianconeri players and will be keen to impress while Juventus Coach Claudio Ranieri and left-back Giorgio Chiellini have past links with Fiorentina. Indeed Ranieri was the Coach of La Viola during that incredible game in 1994.
The most important thing at stake on Sunday however is quite clearly the three points. Fiorentina have the chance to move into second-place above Juventus, while both teams could go top with a win if Inter slip up at home to Napoli. Juventus are still unbeaten away from home this campaign, while Fiorentina have not lost at all.
FORM GUIDE
Fiorentina
Fiorentina – Groningen 1 – 1 04/10/2008 UEFA CUP
Livorno – Fiorentina 0 – 3 29/09/2007 SERIE A
Fiorentina – Roma 2 – 2 26/09/2007 SERIE A
Catania – Fiorentina 0 – 1 23/09/07 SERIE A
Fiorentina – Atalanta 2 – 2 16/09/07 SERIE A
Juventus
Torino – Juventus 0 - 1 30/09/2007 SERIE A
Juventus - Reggina 4 - 0 26/09/2007 SERIE A
Roma - Juventus 2 - 2 23/09/2007 SERIE A
Juventus - Udinese 0 - 1 16/09/2007 SERIE A
Cagliari - Juventus 2 - 3 02/09/2007 SERIE A
TEAM NEWS
Fiorentina
Viola star-man Adrian Mutu missed last week’s 3-0 win at Livorno but returns for the visit of his former-club. Pablo Daniel Osvaldo is unfortunate to make way having scored twice at the Stadio Picchi. Claudio Prandelli is likely to employ an attacking trident with Mario Santana and Giampaolo Pazzini joining Mutu up front.
In midfield Marco Donadel returns from suspension, while Riccardo Montolivo is also expected to return to the starting XI, having only been a substitute last Saturday. Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Massimo Gobbi make way.
Juventus
Claudio Ranieri’s horrific selection problems are slowly easing. Jorge Andrade and Mauro Camoranesi are long-term injury absentees, while Vincenzo Iaquinta is also likely to miss out for the third game in a row.
In defence, Jonathan Zebina is set to return after serving his four-game ban for slapping a cameraman during the week two win over Cagliari. Zdenek Grygera will make way for the Frenchman. Domenico Criscito is also likely to slot back into the back four after missing the derby against Torino. Cristian Molinaro will make way, meaning Giorgio Chiellini will revert to left-back.
In midfield Cristiano Zanetti is suspended, so Sergio Almiron returns.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s
Fiorentina: Frey, Ujfalusi, Kroldrup, Gamberini, Pasqual, Donadel, Liverani, Montolivo, Santana, Pazzini, Mutu
Juventus: Buffon, Zebina, Legrottaglie, Criscito, Chiellini, Salihamidzic, Nocerino, Almiron, Nedved, Trezeguet, Del Piero
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina) – The Romanian was in stunning form last season for the Viola, scoring 16 goals in 33 appearances. The striker has started the new campaign in imperious form and already has four Serie A strikes to his name. Juventus will have to stop Mutu if they want to stop Fiorentina.
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) – So rarely are goalkeepers chosen when a 'player to watch’ is selected before a game. However Buffon has seemingly been making at least one world class save every game this season, and with the likes of Mutu, Pazzini and Montolivo on show on Sunday, the world’s number one shot-stopper will be kept very busy.
PREDICTION
There will certainly be goals in this contest and I envisage an extremely exciting 2-2 score draw, with maybe a sending off and a missed penalty to be thrown into the mix as well.
Fiorentina 2-2 Juventus
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