Juventus vs Fiorentina

A place in the Serie A top four is potentially at stake as Juventus and Fiorentina go head-to-head in a heavyweight clash at the Allianz Stadium.

Juventus squeaked past Monza 2-1 last weekend to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 games, though only five ended in victory (D8). Indeed, a high volume of draws has been the main culprit of Juventus’ underwhelming sixth place in the Serie A table and a significant ten-point deficit on table-topping Atalanta. Despite being one of only two sides alongside PSG yet to lose a top-flight game in Europe’s traditional top-five leagues, ‘I Bianconeri’ have drawn more matches (10) than any other side. Furthermore, three of their last four home outings in Serie A have ended all square (W1), casting doubt on their hopes of posting a fourth consecutive win against Fiorentina. Interestingly, their last three H2H triumphs have yielded an identical 1-0 scoreline, highlighting the potential for a low-scoring affair.

In the meantime, Fiorentina’s form curve has taken a downward trajectory after an impressive run of just one defeat from their first 14 league games under Raffaele Palladino (W9, D4). Indeed, the visitors have lost back-to-back matches via a single-goal margin, losing crucial ground on Atalanta. While consecutive league defeats for the first time since February aren’t a good omen, ‘La Viola’ can rely on a frugal backline to fend off Juventus’ inconsistent attack, having conceded a league-low five away goals this season. Adding to this sentiment, Fiorentina had kept a clean sheet on five successive Serie A road trips before slumping to a narrow 1-0 loss at Bologna last time out (W4, D1).