05 November 2021, 08:49 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
Having booked a spot in the last-16 of the UEFA Champions League with two games to spare, following the 4-2 win over Zenit, the Old Lady returns to Serie A action to take on the Lilies in a bid to catch up with the three sisters at the top of the table. This Italian Serie A TIM fixture, F.C. Juventus vs. ACF Fiorentina, kicks off at 18:00 (GMT+1) on Saturday, November 6, at Allianz Stadium.
Preview Juventus Serie A, Nov 6, 2021
Preview A brace from Paulo Dybala (11’ & 58’ P.) coupled with goals from Federico Chiesa (73’) and Alvaro Morata (82’) was enough to see Juventus qualify for the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, UCL Matchday 4. However, back on the home front, the Killer Lady has been unable to replicate the recent European form. Last weekend, Juventus suffered another famous defeat in the hands of Verona. Giovanni Simeone (10’ & 14’) got Verona off to an early start before returning for the brace with the spectacular right-footed curler to the top-left corner. Dybala failed to convert on two occasions before Weston Mckennie (80') eventually gave the Old Lady a lifeline with 10 minutes left to play. A few clear-cut chances went by at both ends before the game came to a close, leaving Juventus with back-to-back defeats: WWDLL. The defeat saw Juventus drop two spots lower, from 7th to 9th place on the Serie A table, while having 15 points after 4W, 3D, & 4L. A defeat to the Purples will see Massimiliano Allegri push the panic button as the gap between the Old Lady and the top three continues to grow. The last time Juventus registered three consecutive defeats in Serie A was a decade ago in March 2011 under Delneri. Allegri’s aim will be to avoid equaling the record when he lines up the 4—4—2 formation with Morata and Dybala in attack on Saturday.
Preview Fiorentina Serie A, Nov 6, 2021
Preview A man-of-the-match performance saw, Dušan Vlahović (44’ P, 62’ & 74’) bag a hattrick in Fiorentina’s 3-0 win over Spezia last Sunday. The win saw the Lilies move one spot higher on the Serie A table from 8th to 7th place, having picked up 18 points from 6W, 0D, & 5L. Fiorentina have two victories in five games: LLWLW ahead of this difficult fixture against Juventus. However, Vincenzo Italiano will be counting on the team’s strength in keeping the ball, coupled with the individual brilliance of Dušan Vlahović. In terms of ball possession, Fiorentina is second in Serie A this season with 56.3%, trailing Napoli who have 59.9%, while the opposition, Juventus, is tenth with 50.9%. Meanwhile, Dusan Vlahovic has scored 25 goals in the 2021 Serie A Calendar year (at least five more than any other player). The 21-year-old netted in both league games against Juventus last season and already has a haul of 8 goals this season. A 4—2—3—1 formation with the Serbian forward is anticipated against Juventus on Saturday.