Serie A Preview: Juventus Continue Their Streak Against the Viola

ACF Fiorentina vs Juventus FC

There’s no question in any football fan’s mind as to which club is the king of Serie A.

Juventus have been the king of the Italian top flight for the majority of the current decade, and the club’s performance over the past 13 games has done nothing but support what everyone who has an inkling of knowledge of Italian football already knows.

The Bianconeri will be welcoming an interesting team in Fiorentina. While they aren’t the toughest team the league leaders can face at the moment, the Viola have given the Turin giants a couple of interesting games throughout the years they have played each other.

The Stadio Artemio Franchi will be hoping that their undefeated streak will continue against Juve, but they know that the Old Lady will not be denied if she plays seriously. The Serie A 2018 odds are most likely in Juventus’ favour, but it doesn’t hurt anybody to take a look at this matchup more seriously.

Talking Points

Juventus on a mission to dominate

Saying that Juventus are most probably going to win the season in dominating fashion is a fair assessment of just how good this roster is compared to the rest of the league.

This is in no way a dig to how imbalanced the Serie A currently is at the moment as much as it is a testament to how well the club’s upper management has been working to bring the best talent to the Allianz Stadium.

The most popular football team in Italy has one man to thank for the current bounty of wins they are enjoying, and that man is 33 years old.

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t stopped dominating in Italian football and is continuously building his case as the most dominant man in the history of the sport. His showing against SPAL last time out has become something Juve fans are expecting out of him day in and day out, and the entertainer in him doesn’t want to disappoint his adoring crowd.

Of course, the Portuguese ace isn’t the only man the Viola have to be wary about. Mario Mandzukic has thrived from working with CR7, scoring six goals in nine Serie A appearances. Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are doing God’s work on defence, stopping any ball from heading to the net. Paulo Dybala, Mattia De Sciglio and Joao Cancelo are also playing fantastic football under Massimiliano Allegri.

In all honesty, there is no reason for the Old Lady to feel hesitant against their opponents. As long as they play their usual game and don’t allow any slip-ups on the defensive end, there should be no reason for them not to emerge as winners.

Mario Mandzukic celebrate scoring for Juventus — Mario Mandzukic celebrates scoring for Juventus

Can Fiorentina finally win at home?

Fiorentina are in an interesting position when it comes to the league, but fans aren’t probably happy with the way things are going for the Viola.

The club is in a five-match unbeaten run ever since losing to Lazio in October. What makes this feat more impressive is that they pulled this off against clubs such as Roma and Torino. However, they haven’t won a single one of those five games.

Moreover, the coming winter window has brought Serie A 2018 news that is threatening their middling squad. Manchester United have expressed their interest in signing Nikola Milenkovic, one of the club’s shining points this season. Fortunately for them, it would take a while before the January window opens, so Milenkovic can focus on the task ahead.

If Stefano Pioli wants to get at least a point from the league leaders, he needs goals from his team. Marco Benassi and Jordan Veretout will be definite threats for the Viola, but Giovanni Simeone and Valentin Eysseric also needs to be proactive in the attack. Meanwhile, German Pezzella and Victor Hugo must be solid on the defensive end if they want to take a point from Juve.

However, I don’t think they’ll be able to salvage a draw with the way things are going for Fiorentina.

History

Juventus are undefeated in the league, and I don’t believe Fiorentina will be the club to add the impressive first notch to their loss column. The only other team to steal a point from the Allianz Stadium this season has been Genoa. Meanwhile, Fiorentina’s four wins and six draws, on the back of a +8 goal difference, are keeping them from joining the relegation battle.

When it comes to head-to-heads, Juventus have the overwhelming advantage. The Bianconeri won 27 of their 49 contests. Fiorentina won seven of those games, one of which was a 2-1 triumph at home in January 2017.

Betting Tip

	Fiorentina vs Juventus	Juventus Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.13
	December 02, 01:00 (GMT+8)

Fiorentina have been impressive in forcing Roma and Torino to share the points with them, and bookies such as SBOBET respect them for that. However, I don’t think they have what it takes to beat this year’s Juventus squad. Even the Old Lady’s second-string players seem to be too much for the Viola.

The Asian Handicap market offers odds that are too good to pass up on. If you’re looking for other markets to make a quick buck, the Over Under market offers a nice payout. Total Goals 2-3 offers 1.91, and a 1-2 Correct Score for Juventus is available at 7.20.