Best odds: 5/6
Bookmaker:
Juventus are set to welcome Fiorentina to the Allianz Stadium in Turin within the 22nd round of the 2022/23 Serie A campaign, as they seek to play their way past the blow recently received off the pitch.
Juventus
When it comes to Juventus, little can be said these days without reflecting on the recent 15-point deduction, received in punishment for reported financial malpractices. Without going into the matter any deeper now, it s only fair to say that coach Massimiliano Allegri and his players took a real blow which they probably didn t deserve in all this.
There s no escaping from the fact that it completely derailed the season for Juventus, who started the campaign poorly but were just recovering and making their way back towards the top when it happened. There will be no Champions League football for them next season, or any other sort of European football probably, and there are some who believe the matter isn t over yet and the Old Lady might end up being expelled from the league again.
But for the time being, Allegri and his men must focus on football and the game at hand, and try to do their job as best they can in such circumstances.
Had it not been for the deduction, Juventus would now be in third place with 41 points, ahead of AC Milan on goal-difference, with only Napoli and Inter Milan above. As it is, they are 10th with 26 points, 12 less than Atalanta in sixth, the lowest spot leading into Europe. At the moment, Juventus are looking at the backs of city rivals Torino (30), Udinese (29) and Bologna (29), with Monza and Empoli just behind with the same tally as them.
The form of Allegri s team has recently been patchy. The last-six run in all competitions consists of a 5-1 defeat away to Napoli, a 2-1 home win over Monza in the Coppa Italia, a 3-3 draw at home against Atalanta, a 0-2 defeat to Monza at home, a 1-0 home victory over Lazio in the quarterfinals of the cup, and a 0-3 win away to Salernitana earlier this week.
Team News
Defender Leonardo Bonucci, midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Arkadiusz Milik are all long-term absentees and remain out. Fabio Miretti picked up an injury against Salernitana and has been ruled out as well, while fellow midfielder Adrien Rabiot is a doubt, having gone through individual training sessions this week.
With Wojciech Szszesny in goal, Danilo, Gleison Bremer and Alex Sandro are expected to form the back line of three. Presuming he s fit to play, Rabiot should be joined in the middle of the park by Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Fagioli, with Filip Kostic on the left flank and Mattia De Sciglio on the right. Striker Dusan Vlahovic should be supported by Angel Di Maria.
Fiorentina
Fiorentina travel to Turin sitting in 13th place with 24 points, 10 above Hellas Verona topping the relegation zone, and keeping as far away as possible from that position will likely remain the Viola s main goal for the season. Inside that 10-point cushion, four teams are nestled: Lecce (23), Sassuolo (23), Salernitana (21) and Spezia (18).
For the time being, Fiorentina shouldn t be too troubled, but they also shouldn t relax too much or for too long; there s a long way to go yet, and things may change quickly. Looking ahead, it s only Empoli and Monza between them and Juventus.
Vincenzo Italiano s team have also been going up and down in terms of performances and results, reflecting their position in the lower half of the table well. In all competitions, their run of last six matches consists of a 1-0 home win over Sampdoria in the cup round of 16, a 2-0 defeat away to Roma, a 0-1 home loss to Torino, a 1-1 draw away to Lazio, a 2-1 win at home over Torino in the quarterfinals of the cup, and a 1-2 home loss to Bologna.
Team News
Midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli and winger Riccardo Sottil will miss this game through injury, and Italiano will also be without the suspended duo of defender Igor and midfiedler Rodrigo Mandragora. The latter will thus be prevented from facing his parent club.
Pietro Terracciano will be standing between the posts, protected by the line of four consisting of Nikola Milenkovic and Lucas Martinez Quarta as the centre-backs, Dodo on the right and Cristiano Biraghi on the left. Sofian Amrabat, who had a fantastic World Cup with Morocco and continues to attract attention from top clubs around Europe, will anchor the midfield, joined by Giacomo Bonaventura and Antonin Barak. Upfront, striker Luka Jovic will have Nicolas Gonzalez and Christian Kouame in support.
Conclusion
Juventus are obviously considered great favourites to win this match and they probably will, but they ll be forced to work hard to get there and there probably won t be more than one goal separating the two sides.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 5/6
Bookmaker:
