06 November 2021
Substitute Juan Cuadrado’s goal from an acute angle in injury time earned Juventus maximum points as they overcame Fiorentina 1-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening.
The visitors were out the blocks quickest after kick-off, danger man Dusan Vlahovic nodding an early header on target which was easily swallowed by Mattia Perin.
The Bianconeri fashioned their first big chance on 10 minutes, Alvaro Morata charging down a loose ball before laying it off smartly to Paulo Dybala who skied his effort over the bar.
La Viola looked the more adventurous of the two sides, pegging the Bianconeri back, with frequent challenges disrupting the flow of the game which denied the hosts the chance to get into their rhythm.
Riccardo Saponara spurned a guilt-edged chance to put Fiorentina in front after 30 minutes, volleying an effort off target after being left open in the box, before Jose Callejon pulled his strike from distance wide of the mark. Vlahovic went closest next, jumping between two defenders to nod his header wide as the Bianconeri defense continued to come under threat.
Matthijs de Ligt’s header off a Weston Mckennie long throw was the Bianconeri’s last half-chance of the first stanza as the two sides headed into the break all square.
The Bianconeri started the second half on the front foot, Morata showing brilliant skill as he neatly controlled a bouncing ball on his chest, swiveled and a volleyed an effort towards goal that arrowed narrowly wide.
On 55 minutes Adrien Rabiot charged goalwards, his deflected effort clipping a defender as it blazed just past the upright.
Fiorentina continued their aggressive approach in trying to stop any Juventus attack, their physicality resulting in their downfall as Nikola Milenkovic received his marching orders after taking down Federico Chiesa.
Minutes later Chiesa smashed his fierce effort against the crossbar, as Morata tucked the ball into the back of the net soon after, only to be ruled offside as the hosts look to continue their search and make the most of their one-man advantage.
Chiesa continued to look dangerous, forcing a save from Pietro Terracciano after latching onto a Juan Cuadrado cross. Yet it would be the Colombian super sub that proved to be the difference in the end: with the clock reading 90 minutes on the scoreboard, the wingback ran at the Fiorentina defense, out-muscling his marker before unleashing a fierce shot from an impossible angle to bulge the back of the net, sending the expectant home crowd into delirium.
Chiesa forced Pietro Terracciano into another sprawling save in the dying seconds, moments before the referee blew the final whistle indicating a 1-0 victory for the home side, who enter November’s international break with all three points in the bag.
JUVENTUS 1-0 FIORENTINA (HT 0-0)
SCORERS: CUADRADO 90+1’
JUVENTUS
Line-up: Perin, Rugani, de Ligt, Danilo, Alex Sandro (Pellegrini 46’), McKennie, Chiesa, Rabiot (Cuadrado 79’), Locatelli, Morata (Kaio Jorge 88’), Dybala (Bentancur 90+2’)
Subs not used: Pinsoglio, Israel, Bonucci, Arthur, Ramsey, Bernardeschi, Kulusevski.
FIORENTINA
Line-up: Terracciano, Odriozola, Milenkovic, Martinez Quarta, Biraghi, Bonaventura (Duncan 78’), Torreira (Amrabat 64’), Castrovilli (Nastasic 79’), Callejon (Igor 75’), Vlahovic, Saponara (Sottil 75’)
Subs not used: Rosati, Cerofolini, Maleh, Terzic, Egharevba, Venuti, Benassi.
