Fiorentina vs Juventus preview

April 6, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Fiorentina vs JuventusFiorentina take a 2-1 lead into the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals, with Viola looking to finish the job at their Artemio Franchi.

Their arch rivals Juventus may be in a difficult position at the moment, but they are not ready to give up on the final berth just yet.

The large group of quality players have helped Fiorentina successfully compete on three fronts and Viola can still turn this season into a huge success.

Vincenzo Montella’s charges climbed to fourth in the Serie A standings as they defeated Sampdoria at the weekend, although they remain six points behind Champions League positions.

Meanwhile, Viola will be vying Dynamo Kiev for a place in the Europa League semi-finals, but it’s now time to turn the focus towards club’s Coppa Italia campaign.

Fiorentina made a giant step towards the final by defeating Juventus 2-1 in Turin and they can be backed at 3.40 (12/5) to win the return leg as well.

Vincenzo Montella is widely expected to make changes to the side that defeated Sampdoria, with Joaquin, Jasmin Krtic and Nenad Tomovic set to be recalled.

The likes of Stefan Savic and Manuel Pasqual could return from injury, while Josip Ilicic is back from a Serie A suspension.

Probable starting line-up (3-5-2): Neto – Tomovic, Rodriguez, Basanta – Joaquin, Kurtic, Badelj, Fernandez, Pasqual – Gomez, Ilicic.

The 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in Coppa Italia seems to have acted as a wake-up call for Juventus players, with the Bianconeri largely impressive ever since.

Max Allegri’s charges recorded five straight victories without conceding to not only secure the league trophy, but also qualify with ease for the Champions League quarter-finals.

And while the high-profile tie against Monaco has the priority at the moment, the Old Lady will also want to try and qualify for the Coppa Italia final.

That will be no easy task after the defeat in the first leg, but bear in mind that Juventus are 3.00 (2/1) to make it to the next stage.

Max Allegri has received a welcoming boost as star midfielder Claudio Marchisio resumed full training earlier than planned, but the Italy international will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Arturo Vidal should be available after shaking off a minor knock, but Pogba, Romulo, Asamoah and Caceres continue to miss out.

Probable starting line-up (3-5-2): Storari – Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini – Lichtsteiner, Pereyra, Pirlo, Vidal, Evra – Tevez, Morata.

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