Friday, March 16, 2012

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17.03. (Sat) 20:45 Fiorentina - Juventus

Pirlo e Jovetic durante Juventus-Fiorentina (Getty)
Getty

PROBABLE LINEUPS

FIORENTINA


Boruc

Cassani, Gamberini, Natali, Pasqual
Behrami, Montolivo, Lazzari
Cerci, Amauri, Vargas
JUVENTUS


Buffon
Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie
Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio
Pepe, Matri, Vucinic

Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi is set to make one change from the side that lost 1-0 to Catania last weekend with Valon Behrami likely to come into the team for Ruben Olivera. Stevan Jovetic is also likely to miss out, despite his best efforts to shrug off a muscle injury that has kept him out since March 4.

Meanwhile for Juventus, Antonio Conte will be delighted to welcome back Giorgio Chiellini into the team after successfully recovering from a calf problem. The former Livorno man will partner fellow incoming defender Leonardo Bonucci, who has served his one-match ban.. Also, Emanuele Giaccherini looks set to be dropped for Arturo Vidal, who will return to the centre of midfield, but Martin Caceres is expected to miss out.

DID YOU KNOW
  • Fiorentina have beaten Juventus just once in their last 20 meetings - a 3-2 win in Turin in March 2008.
  • The Viola have conceded 234 goals against Juventus in Serie A - the most their opponents have scored against a single team.
  • Fiorentina have won just once in their last six match matches, losing four times.
  • Juventus are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Fiorentina.
  • They are still unbeaten in this campaign, but have drawn the most games (14); only Brest in France's Ligue 1 have drawn more games among the 'top five' European leagues with 15.
  • Antonio Conte's side have drawn six of their last seven league games, including the last four.
  • Interestingly, Juventus have found the net with just one of their last 60 shots on goal.
Prediction
This one has all the makings of an extremely edgy affair, with both sides struggling to register goals of late, but Juventus should nick all three points in the tightest of fashions and resurrect their faltering Scudetto tilt.
Editor's Prediction
Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus