The Daily Star Ireland
Juventus, once the dominant force in Italian football throughout the 2010s, now finds itself fighting for a top 4 finish, currently sitting in 6th place, just 3 points behind the Champions League qualification spots. While the team is poised to reach the play-offs in the Champions League, holding 14th place after a strong 2-0 victory over Manchester City, their form in Serie A has been inconsistent.
After four consecutive draws, including 2-2 results against Bologna and Venice, they returned to winning ways with a 1-2 victory against Monza last weekend. Additionally, Juventus secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup with a 4-0 win over Cagliari.
Fiorentina, on the other hand, has been one of Italy’s standout teams this season. Just outside the top 4 before their Monday match against Udinese, they trail 4th place by only 3 points, despite having played two fewer matches. Fiorentina’s recent draw against Bologna (1-1) hasn’t dimmed their strong start to the season. The team has also impressed in the Conference League, finishing in 3rd place after drawing 1-1 with Vitoria Guimaraes last week.
Juventus faces a number of injury concerns for this match, with key players like Bremer, Cambiaso, and Milik still unavailable, alongside replacements Rouhi, Cabal, and the Brazilians Douglas Luiz and Danilo. Forward Son Weah, who has scored 4 goals in Serie A, also remains sidelined. On a positive note, winger Nico Gonzalez, who has been plagued by injuries, has returned to form and even scored in the latest match.
Fiorentina, in contrast, has fewer injury issues, with only backup defender Pongracic unavailable. However, right-back Dodo is expected to return after a suspension. Forward Kean, who has scored 9 goals in Serie A, is expected to maintain his spot in the starting lineup, supported by wingers Beltran and Gudmundsson.
Prediction
In terms of match predictions, Juventus’ home games have typically featured under 3.5 goals, with this outcome occurring in 13 of their last 14 home matches in Serie A. Fiorentina has also consistently seen under 3.5 goals in their past 25 matches. Given these trends, a low-scoring draw seems likely.
Prediction: Juventus 1 : 1 Fiorentina
