08 February 2018
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Juve put in a commanding performance last time out as they beat Sassuolo 7-0 at the Allianz Stadium. Alex Sandro got the Bianconeri off the mark in the 9th minute from close range, before turning provider to flick a Miralem Pjanic corner into the path of Sami Khedira to make it two. The German midfielder then added a second and Juve’s third two minutes later, when he ran onto to Pjanic’s terrific pass over-the-top. The Bosnian then got in on the act when he rocketed home Khedira’s intelligent cut-back to make it 4-0 to the Bianconeri at half-time.
It was the Gonzalo Higuain show in the second half as the Argentine put five on the scoreboard with his incisive low finish into the corner of the net. Pipita added his second when Claudio Marchisio supplied him with an inch perfect long pass, and Higuain showed deft feet to dribble round the goalkeeper and roll the ball home. In the final 10 minutes, Bernardeschi slipped in Higuain and the Juve number nine kept his composure to dink the ball over the onrushing keeper and complete his hat-trick.
FIORENTINA GOING STEADY
After finishing in eight place last season, Fiorentina currently find themselves in 11th, having beaten Bologna 2-1 away in their last outing. La Viola went in front in the 41st minute when Jordan Veretout’s corner deflected off of former Juve goalkeeper, Antonio Mirante at the near post to go straight in. Bizarrely Bologna’s Erick Pulgar then equalised in the same manner just three minutes later, as his corner also caught out Fiorentina’s Marco Sportiello. The visitors were able to win the game in the second half however, following a spectacular solo goal from Federico Chiesa.
La Viola weren’t overly active in the January window, but made a few reinforcements in the squad with the likes of Diego Falcinelli joining on loan from Sassuolo and midfielder Bryan Dabo arriving from Saint-Etienne.
LAST TIME VS FIORENTINA
Juve’s meeting with Fiorentina at the Allianz in September ended in a slender 1-0 victory for the Bianconeri, who scored the game’s only goal in the 52nd minute when Mario Mandzukic put away a diving header following a touch from Higuain off of Juan Cuadrado’s cross into the box. Not long after Mandzukic’s opener his Croatian compatriot, Milan Badelj was sent off for Fiorentina, after collecting his second yellow card of the game for fouling Blaise Matuidi just outside the box. Despite La Vecchia Signora creating chances to go two up, one goal proved to be sufficient for Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
#FIORENTINAJUVE MATCH STATS
- Fiorentina have won only three of their last 32 against Juventus (17 draws, 12 defeats).
- The Bianconeri have won 30 out of 78 games played in Florence, with 21 draws and 27 Fiorentina wins.
- Juve have the most cleansheets this season with 14.
- Seven substitutes have scored for La Viola after coming on, more than any other team.
- Giovanni Simone has scored the most headed goals this season (four).
- Higuain has scored in each of his last three trips to the Artemio Franchi.
- Kwadwo Asamoah has scored most of his goals against Fiorentina (three).
- When Medhi Benatia has been on the pitch Juve have conceded only an average of 0.2 goals per game.
- Massimiliano Allegri is unbeaten against Stefano Pioli in Serie A (nine wins, three draws).
- Pioli has never won against Juve in the league (three draws, eight defeats).
