19 September 2017
A BUSY WEEK AT THE ALLIANZ
Wednesday's match against Fiorentina begins a stretch of three matches in eight days at the Bianconeri home with Juve hosting Torino on Saturday night and Olympiacos in the Champions League on 27 September. So far at home, Massimiliano Allegri's side has booked two 3-0 wins at home in the league.
DYNAMIC DYBALA
Four games into the Serie A season and it’s clear to see that Paulo Dybala has taken the role of Juve number 10 with complete aplomb. La Joya was again decisive in the weekend’s 3-1 win away at Sassuolo, bagging his second hat-trick of the campaign!
His first goal came in the 16th minute when he met a Mario Mandzukic pass first time, and curled the ball into the back of the opposing net. The next arrived in the second half with a delicious toe-poke that bamboozled Andrea Consigli in the Sassuolo goal, and his final effort was a sumptuous free-kick that gave the goalkeeper no chance, and made sure that all three points were heading back to Turin.
EVEN STEVENS FOR LA VIOLA
Fiorentina didn’t get off to the best of starts this term, they lost their opening match away to Inter Milan 3-0, and then followed it up with a 2-1 defeat at home to Sampdoria. However, after the international break their form saw a big improvement as they demolished Hellas Verona away 5-0 and recorded a hard fought 2-1 win over Bologna.
La Viola had an arguably mixed transfer window, whilst they signed interesting players such as Giovanni Simone, Valentin Eysseric and Cyril Thereau, they also lost key players in the form of Federico Bernardeschi, Borja Valero and Matias Vecino.
LAST TIME VS FIORENTINA
The Bianconeri had contrasting fortunes against Fiorentina last season.
The two sides first locked horns on the opening day as Sami Khedira put Juventus 1-0 up with a bullet header from a Giorgio Chiellini cross in the first half, but Juve were pegged back when Nikola Kalinic rose highest from a corner to level the scores. However, La Vecchia Signora weren’t to be denied and in the final 10 minutes, Gonzalo Higuain scored on his Juventus debut to hand a 2-1 victory to Juventus.
Later in the season at the Stadio Artemio Franchi the roles were reversed, as Fiorentina took a first-half lead, with Nikola Kalinic again finding the net. La Viola doubled their advantage thanks to a goal from Milan Badelj. Gonzalo Higuain also struck again in the reverse fixture, but much like the first game it finished 2-1 to the home side.
#JUVEFIORENTINA STATS
-This is the 157th meeting between Juventus and Fiorentina. The Bianconeri lead the series with 73 wins, 50 draws and 33 Fiorentina victories.
-Juventus has scored in the last 31 Serie A home games against Fiorentina (53 goals in all) with 1981 the last time the Bianconeri failed to find the back of the net at home against Wednesday's opponents.
-In 1953, Juventus defeated Fiorentina 8-0, still La Viola's worst defeat in the league.
-Juventus has scored 13 goals in their first four Serie A matches, the most since the 1959/60 season.
-The Bianconeri are a stunning 36-1-0 in their last 37 Serie A home matches, earning 109 of a possible 111 points.
-Juventus have scored in their last 33 league matches, the longest streak in the league. The all-time streak, 43 matches, is also held by Juventus between 2013 and 2014.
-Gonzalo Higuain has scored in five of the last six games he's played against Fiorentina including his last four. He scored in his Juventus league debut against Fiorentina last year.
-Juan Cuadrado scored 20 goals in 85 appearances for Fiorentina from 2012 to 2015.
-Federico Bernardeschi scored 14 goals in 72 Serie A matches with Fiorentina.
