Serie A: Can the Old Lady Play a Tune on La Viola?

Juventus vs Fiorentina

Third faces 10th at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday when the Serie A contest between Juventus and Fiorentina is the entertainment on offer, and the Turin fans will hope they have more fun than in recent weeks.

Max Allegri’s Juventus have been out of sorts recently, struggling with injuries and a poor run of results. Meanwhile, Vincenzo Italiano’s Fiorentina are trying to make a late charge for European football, and they are fighting on three fronts, but they too have struggled for wins.

But both teams had a midweek boost.  

Juventus beat Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia semi-final, while Fiorentina saw off Atalanta with the only goal of the game in the other semi-final. Before these cup wins, they had identical struggles with two draws followed by a defeat.   

Talking Points

Juve back to 3-5-2

The Old Lady has been without a win in a month, and her Serie A loss to Lazio last weekend was a tough watch for Bianconeri fans as their team offered little in terms of creativity and were punished by a late Adam Marusic goal.

Allegri responded and reverted to his preferred 3-5-2 formation in the Copa match which did the trick. With a midfield trio of Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, and Adrien Rabiot, flanked by the wing-backs Andrea Cambiaso and Filip Kostic, there was plenty of supply for strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa who both hit the target to give Juventus a commanding first leg lead.        

Vlahovic, with 15 goals, is the second highest scorer in the league, but the Capocannoniere is well out of reach as Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez is already on 23.

The 24-year-old Serbian hitman is consistently reaching the heights for Juve and is established as a one-in-two goal scorer which makes him a rarity in Serie A.

Meanwhile,  McKennie has made seven assists, and he featured in the SBOTOP picks of the potential top assist maker in the league, but he hasn’t always made the starting lineup, and Allegri will surely keep him in the lineup for the match with Fiorentina after the USA star impressed in the Coppa clash with Lazio.  

Viola’s European hopes

Fiorentina are down in 10th place in the Serie A table, but they are only three points behind Lazio in seventh and Italiano’s team is thriving in the Coppa Italia. La Viola took their first leg advantage of Atalanta thanks to a wonder strike from midfielder Rolando Mandragora, whose long range shot flew in off the post.

As well as being on target for a Coppa Italia final, La Viola are in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and are confident of repeating their final appearance of 2023.

And they have a side beautifully balanced in terms of youth and experience. The 34-year-old Giacomo Bonaventura, with seven goals, is still an important cog in La Viola’s midfield, supporting the attack with his brilliant vision and passing range.   

And at the other end of his career, 19-year-old right-back Michael Kayode is a good bet to feature in the Serie A 2024 highlights after he burst onto the scene this season.

The Juventus academy product has become one of the most exciting prospects in European football in his first season in the Italian top-flight. He cut his teeth in Serie D with Gozzaono and has successfully taken the step up, scoring once and making four assists in 20 games for Fiorentina.

Kayode is already on the radar of some of Europe’s top teams, including Manchester City and Barcelona.    

History

I Bianconeri have won 35 of the last 62 encounters with Fiorentina, drawing 18 and losing nine, and a Fabio Miretti goal gave Allegri’s side a 1-0 win in Florence back in November. The game in Turin last season also ended up 1-0 to Juventus.     

In terms of recent form, there is not a lot to choose between thet two teams.

Juventus have won two, drawn two, and lost two of the last six games, while Fiorentina have won two, drawn three, and lost one.

And the Old Lady has been strong at home, with nine wins, five draws, and a single defeat at the Allianz Stadium.

Betting tip

The Serie A 2024 betting odds are backing another win for I Bianconeri with the draw at 3.25, and Fiorentina out at a price of 4.06. I think Allegri’s team may have turned a corner and, back in their preferred formation, the feel-good factor returned on Tuesday.  Another 1-0 win for Juve at odds of 5.80 is the most likely scoreline, and that outcome would surprise no one outside of Florence.

 

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