01 December 2018
Juve extended their unbeaten run to 14 games in Serie A since the start of the season with an impressive 3-0 victory over Fiorentina.
The Viola put up a good fight but ultimately had to cede to the Bianconeri's superiority as Rodrigo Bentancur, Giorgio Chiellini and Cristiano Ronaldo got the goals in what was an enjoyable, hard-fought contest until the latter stages of the second half.
Before the match Chiellini and the other Bianconeri players laid a bunch of flowers beneath the Curva Fiesole in memory of Davide Astori – a gesture of respect and solidarity sadly in stark contrast to the graffiti outside the stadium insulting Gaetano Scirea and the Heysel victims.
RODRI-GOAL!
The match itself got off to a lively start. Fiorentina came racing out of the blocks and fashioned a couple of early chances, with Marco Benassi fizzing a shot past the post and Nikola Milenkovic unable to direct his header on target.
The Viola's high tempo and pressure made it hard for Juve to pass the ball around tidily and caused them a few problems too, like when Gerson blocked Chiellini's attempted clearance – the ball thankfully spinning straight into Wojciech Szczesny's arms.
Once the intensity of Fiorentina's play inevitably decreased, the Bianconeri took control of proceedings and began to spend most of their time in the opposition half.
It wasn't long before the goal came and it was all Rodrigo Bentancur's doing.
The Uruguayan carried the ball forward, exchanged passes with Paulo Dybala and slalomed into space on the edge of the box, where he angled a low finish into the corner, leaving Alban Lafont rooted to the spot.
RELENTLESS
The game really kicked into gear after the opener. Giovanni Simeone was unable to turn in Milenkovic's cross from close range while down the other end Ronaldo and Cancelo almost doubled Juve's lead with a couple of rockets that flew wide.
Before the half was out Dybala tested Lafont with a low drive from distance and Ronaldo slammed a free kick into the wall. 1-0 it remained at the interval.
CHIELLO STRIKES!
The plot remained much the same after the break. Benassi skimmed the post with a daisycutter soon after the restart and the Viola were pulling out all the stops, constantly doubling up on the Bianconeri and closing all the spaces.
Federico Chiesa saw two efforts saved by Szczesny while another Ronaldo free kick drew an acrobatic save out of Lafont.
Fiorentina continued to threaten and Szczesny again had to be alert to deal with Jordan Veretout's volley from the edge of the box.
There was no doubt the home side were in the ascendancy but the Bianconeri withstood the pressure and scored a second against the run of play.
Following a corner, the ball was played in and Chiellini hooked a shot towards goal on the turn, with the ball bouncing up off Lafont and spinning into the net.
CR7 MAKES IT THREE!
The goal knocked the stuffing out of Fiorentina and Juve took advantage by pressing forward. Ten minutes they got the third goal that definitively ended the contest.
Mario Mandzukic's cross caught Edmilson's flailing arm and the ref pointed to the spot. Ronaldo stepped up and proceeded to smash the most violent of penalty kicks into the back of the net.
CR7 made way for Federico Bernardeschi immediately after scoring, the first time he has been substituted off since joining Juventus.
And so Juve claimed three big points against a tricky opponent – the perfect way to kick off a tough December.
FIORENTINA 0-3 JUVENTUS (HT 0-1)
SCORERS: Bentancur 31 Chiellini 69, Ronaldo 79 (pen).
FIORENTINA Lafont; Milenkovic, Pezzella, Hugo, Biraghi; Benassi (Pjaca 65), Veretout, Edmilson; Chiesa, Simeone, Gerson (Thereau 80). Subs not used: Dragowski, Sottil, Laurini, Ceccherini, Dabo, Hancko, Norgaard, Eysseric, Mirallas, Vlahovic. Coach: Pioli. JUVENTUS
Szczesny; De Sciglio, Bonucci, Chiellini, Cancelo; Cuadrado (Douglas Costa 84), Bentancur, Matuidi; Dybala, Mandzukic (Kean 88), Ronaldo (Bernardeschi 80). Subs not used: Perin, Pinsoglio, Rugani, Benatia, Barzagli, Spinazzola, Pjanic. Coach: Allegri. REFEREE: Orsato. ASSISTANTS: Manganelli, Schenone. FOURTH OFFICIAL: Pasqua. VAR: Massa, Tegoni.
BOOKED: Mandzukic 11, Edmilson 44, Bentancur 50, Hugo 51, Milenkovic 64, Pezzella 72, Ronaldo 79, Thereau 88, Veretout 90+1.
