New Delhi: An early goal from midfielder Claudio Marchisio was enough for Juventus to beat Fiorentina and move level with Inter on top of the Serie A standings, but there will be controversy as the Viola saw an Alberto Gilardino goal incorrectly ruled out for offside.
Juventus looked to pile up the pressure on Inter as they hosted Fiorentina hoping to reach the top spot in the table with a victory. Meanwhile, Fiorentina needed a result to keep the race for a Champions League spot going.
Gianluigi Buffon made his long-awaited return in goal for the Bianconeri, who as usual had captain Alex Del Piero and Amauri in attack in a 4-4-2 system, while the Viola played with a 4-3-1-2 formation with Mario Santana behind Alberto Gilardino and Stevan Jovetic up front.
First Half
The start of the match was a cagey affair, as both teams seemed to respect each other too much. However, after a while Juve started taking control of the match and creating chances.
In the eighth minute, Del Piero played a nice ball to Marco Marchionni, who cut inside from the right, dribbling past Manuel Pasqual, and fired a shot from outside the area that went well wide of the target.
A minute after that, Del Piero himself came close to opening the score, as he tried to lob the ball into the net with a delicate chip after some nice play with Marchionni and Cristiano Zanetti, but he sent it just wide.
In the 10th minute, Fiorentina claimed a penalty as Zdenek Grygera appeared to bring down Jovetic, but the referee wasn’t having any of it.
The home side opened the score in the 20th minute, when Del Piero found midfielder Claudio Marchisio inside the area with an inspired through ball, and the youngster coolly placed the ball past Sebastien Frey from a difficult angle. It was the first Serie A goal for the 23-year-old.
Juve nearly doubled their lead a minute later, as again Del Piero found Nedved on the left side of the area, but the Czech star’s dangerous cross into the area didn’t find any black and white shirts and went just wide of the post.
Buffon was called into action for the first time in the 25th minute, when he had to race off his line to rob the ball from Gilardino, who was found unmarked in the area by Felipe Melo.
Around the half hour mark, Fiorentina started to create some serious danger, and in the 32nd minute Gilardino’s header on a cross by Pasqual struck the crossbar. The ball was then picked up by Montolivo, who struck a shot from the edge of the area which Buffon could only parry onto Gilardino, who then poked the ball into the net, but the goal was incorrectly called off for offside, as Grygera kept the Italian striker onside.
After this scare, which should have cost them the equaliser, Juve responded with a free kick from about 30 meters by Nedved in the 35th minute, which went just wide of the target.
Just before half time, there were a couple of big chances for both sides. In the 45th minute, Del Piero played a magnificent long pass for Marchionni, who dribbled past Per Kroldrup and found himself alone in front of Frey, but the goalkeeper came up with a brilliant double save to deny him.
At the other end, Montolivo sent in a cross from the right that Kroldrup could have pushed into the net, but team mate Alessandro Gamberini was in his way.
A highly entertaining first half came to an end on a 1-0 scoreline for the home side which was harsh on the Viola, especially considering Gilardino saw a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside.
Second Half
The only change during half time was made by Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli, who replaced midfielder Massimo Gobbi with Zdravko Kuzmanovic, also a midfielder.
The visitors took the initiative at the start of the second half, and in the 56th minute Pasqual fired a surprise shot on goal from a difficult position on the left, which Buffon punched away, allowing the ball to fall to Jovetic, who tried to poke the ball in first time but he was in a difficult position and could only send it wide.
After some sustained pressure from Fiorentina, Juve forced Frey into action again in the 61st minute, when Del Piero again found Marchionni with a great long pass, and the midfielder played it to the onrushing Grygera, whose shot was tipped away for a corner by the French goalkeeper.
The next chance was also for the home side, in the 69th minute, when Marchionni made a run into the area from the right and played the ball to Del Piero, whose shot from inside the area sailed well over the crossbar. A big chance wasted by the Juve captain.
The Viola responded quickly and two minutes later there was another chance for Gilardino, who touched the ball with the tip of his foot from close range on a cross from the left by Santana, but Buffon showed all his class as he managed to tip the ball away for a corner.
As Fiorentina poured pressure on Juventus as they searched for an equaliser, they exposed themselves more and more to Juve’s counterattacks. This nearly proved fatal when, in the 83rd minute, Sebastian Giovinco, who had just replaced Del Piero, was found in space and made a run toward goal, but he failed to beat Frey in a one-on-one as the keeper got a hand to his shot.
The final chance of the match came in injury time, when a powerful shot by Jovetic was punched away by Buffon.
For all their pressure, Fiorentina failed to really test Juve's defence in the last stages of the match. After three minutes of injury time, the Bianconeri could celebrate a crucial victory that brings them top of the table along with Inter, who host Sampdoria tomorrow evening as the Scudetto race heats up.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina might see the fourth place slip further away after Sunday’s games.
Teams
Juventus (4-4-2): Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Legrottaglie, De Ceglie; Marchionni, Zanetti (89’ Poulsen), Marchisio, Nedved; Amauri, Del Piero (77’ Giovinco). Coach: Ranieri.
Fiorentina (4-3-1-2): Frey; Zauri, Gamberini, Kroldrup, Pasqual; Gobbi (46’ Kuzmanovic), Felipe Melo, Montolivo; Santana (72’ Bonazzoli); Gilardino, Jovetic. Coach: Prandelli.
Goals: 21’ Marchisio (J)
Booked: Grygera, Zanetti, Giovinco (J); Montolivo, Felipe Melo (F)
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