Socrates

Juventus 0 - Fiorentina 3: Initial reaction and random observations Somebody please wake us up from this nightmare. In a way, there was a line of thinking that Juventus’ blowout loss to Atalanta last weekend — the kind the club hasn’t suffered since the late 1960s — was either rock bottom or something very, very close to it. Little did we know Juve would go out and sink even lower seven days later. Another Sunday, another blowout involving Thiago Motta and Juventus. But just like last Sunday, it wasn’t the kind of blowout that many of us enjoyed the first couple weeks of the 2024-25 season. Instead, a week after Juventus went out and lost 4-0 to Atalanta at the Allianz Stadium, Motta’s squad followed that one-sided result up with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a Fiorentina squad that entered the day both on short rest thanks to the UEFA Conference League and very much in a bad spell of form domestically. ............ So now, with results earlier in the day, Juventus have Motta’s former side, Bologna, ahead of them in the standings in fourth place after absolutely hammering Lazio 5-0 earlier in the day. That means Fiorentina’s former manager, Vincenzo Italiano, has now guided Motta’s old squad into a higher position in the table on the same day that Fiorentina claims just their second win over Juventus in their last 11 meetings in all competitions. ............ But the same old problems that have haunted Motta and Juventus all season were on display once again on this night. Throw in a defense that looked totally out of sorts both before and after Fiorentina took the lead and you had the recipe for essentially a repeat of what happened against Atalanta. And absolutely none of it was actually good. Juve had 68% possession at the half — cool. Twice as many passes completed as Fiorentina — great. It doesn’t matter at this point. I don’t care what the numbers say because it’s all painting a picture that isn’t adding up to wins or even being competitive when they step onto the field. Juventus are currently a team that is fielding a starting lineup that has players out of position in attack and a defense that is about as patchwork as patchwork gets. The highest-paid player in Serie has been relegated to a bench role. One of the best young talents in Europe is seeing somebody like Nico Gonzalez get continuous starts even though he has been playing poorly for weeks, if not longer. It’s all bad — and things aren’t showing that they are going to get better. So, at some point, you need to ask yourself when is it enough. ............ Yet, the combined score of the last two games: Not Juventus 7, Juventus 0. At this point, I don’t know what rock bottom will actually be for this Juventus squad. That’s because the last two weekends have proven that no matter how bad things are, they can always potentially get worse. What that means for Motta’s job, who the heck knows. ............ RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS Remember that five-game winning streak in Serie A? Yeah, that was cool. I miss that. So now it’s not only Lazio as a competitor for the top four, but also Bologna and the giallorossi side of Rome? God, this is EXACTLY what Juventus needed on top of getting their tails whipped once again. ............ Do I think Thiago Motta is still Juventus’ manager by the time the international break ends and they’re taking the field against Genoa at the Allianz? I really have no idea at this point. At this point, you can’t really look at Juve and think to yourself “Yeah, all good here.” I didn’t really understand Motta’s starting lineup choices. I definitely didn’t understand his substitution choices. You’re in need of goals and don’t bring on some of the attacking talent you have on the bench? ............ Randal Kolo Muani attempted two shots. One was off target, the other one was blocked. Based solely on how Andrea Cambiaso walked off the field, guessing it will be a few weeks even after the international break until we see him again. That ankle issue he had a few months ago is back and it doesn’t look good this time. ............ Teun Koopmeiners continues to be the mystery that keeps on mystifying. I have no idea what’s happened to the Koopmeiners who was one of the best players in Serie A last season. He is a shell of himself right now, and it’s all just a struggle to think about what needs to happen for him to start to even show signs of turning for the better. Same goes for Nico Gonzalez. I don’t know why he’s still in the starting lineup. I really don’t. ............ Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/3/16/24387135/juventus-fiorentina-2025-serie-a-matchday-29-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

Nicolo Fagioli-inspired Fiorentina humiliate Juventus in Florence Juventus suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina this evening, as Nicolo Fagioli reminded the Old Lady of what they are missing. Having been embarrassed at home in their previous match by Atalanta, this game was crucial for Juventus manager Thiago Motta, who needed a victory to prove he was worthy of continuing in the role for another season. ............ From the start, Fiorentina played with great confidence, applying pressure and making life difficult for the visitors, who lacked the belief and cohesion needed to respond. It didn’t take long for La Viola to open the scoring as Robin Gosens found the back of the net. Many would have expected the second goal to take longer to arrive, but Fiorentina doubled their advantage just three minutes later. Nicolo Fagioli provided an excellent assist to Rolando Mandragora, further highlighting what Juventus had allowed to slip away. ............ Juventus struggled to regain control of the match as Fiorentina, full of confidence, dominated possession and launched attack after attack. Juventus, on the other hand, seemed unsure and lacking in organisation. Despite their desperate need for a strong halftime team talk, Motta’s words appeared to have little effect. Fiorentina extended their lead almost immediately after the break, with Fagioli again providing the assist, this time for the goal scored by Arthur Cabral. ............ With nothing working for Juventus and Motta seemingly out of answers, the manager’s future now looks even more uncertain. It seems only a matter of time before his position is questioned, with this defeat serving as another blow to his tenure at the club. . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/nicolo-fagioli-inspired-fiorentina-humiliate-juventus-in-florence/

Cambiaso si é fatto male

Cosmi traghettatore per il dopo Motta? Quello davanti a lui é parente di Mao Tze Tung?

Difendiamo il 3-0 per evitare un risultato peggiore.

Secondo me la mollezza dipende anche dall'allenatore-societá. Con Boniperti e Moggi non potevi essere molle.

Beh Elkann la dovrebbe conoscere la Juventus di Boniperti calciatore-presidente.

Motta sai chi sono? Sai cos'é la Juventus?

Ma dove ha tirato Koopmeiners

Difesa inguardabile. E Gatti siede in panchina.

Intanto siamo giá 2-0

1-0

Nella Divina Commedia ci sono molti fiorentini all'inferno. Non sono cambiati nel frattempo.

Era il caro Fagioli

Che brutta gente

In direzione del cesso sicuramente ma in campo un pó meno.

Ha fatto giocare Yildiz con la diarrea contro l'Atalanta e oggi lo tiene fuori.

Kelly terzino sinistro spero proprio di no

Fiorentina vs. Juventus match preview There are 10 games to go in the 2024-25 season. Ten more chances for Juventus to, somehow, try and salvage something out a season that has certainly had its moments of major disappointments — especially over the last month. ............ So now Juve head to a stadium in which there will be no love lost, no warm welcome by any stretch of the imagination and certainly no easy task ahead of them in Florence. What Juventus’ answer to their blowout loss to Atalanta remains to be seen as they get set to face Fiorentina on Sunday evening at the Franchi. But what we do know is that they can’t count on Lazio giving them any sort of reprieve and dropping points for a fourth time in the last month even if they are facing one of the most in-form teams going in Serie A these days. That means Juve’s trip to Florence has suddenly become a whole lot more important than most of us probably viewed it before things kicked off last weekend against Atalanta. ............ They could respond in the same kind of way they did when they lost to Napoli in Naples last month and begin another winning streak, one that allowed them to move into fourth place in the table and even have small hopes of a surprise late-season Scudetto push. Or they could basically do what they’ve done over the course of much of this season and just take another step back when things were starting to look like they might be turning for the better. The thing is, though, Juve are going to be playing a team that has had plenty of their own difficulties in recent weeks. Remember the first couple of months of the 2024-25 campaign when Fiorentina were in the top four and had a stretch in the fall of nine wins in 10 games? Well, that feels like a long, long time ago for Fiorentina supporters. As much as the wild win over Panathinaikos in the UEFA Conference League Round of 16 was a thrilling one, it’s also one that came at a time in which La Viola’s league struggles have been impossible to ignore and have put Raffaele Palladino’s future into question just like Thiago Motta’s has at Juventus. In the 10 league fixtures since Juve and Fiorentina played to a 2-2 draw in Turin a couple of days after Christmas, Palladino’s squad have just four wins. In their last five Serie A games, Fiorentina have won just once — and that came two weeks ago against a Lecce side that is currently sitting in 16th place. ............ TEAM NEWS Thiago Motta has recovered three players ahead of the trip to Florence, with Francisco Conceição, Nicolo Savona and Jonas Rouhi all returning to training earlier this week. ............ Even though it’s now been a couple of weeks since he returned, there still seems to be a chance that Pierre Kalulu — arguably Juve’s best defender since Bremer’s injury in October — will start on the bench in favor of more Lloyd Kelly minutes. All signs point toward Kenan Yildiz having recovered from the stomach illness that forced him to be subbed off at the half during last weekend’s loss to Atalanta. As has been the case the last couple of weeks, Andrea Cambiaso is the only Juventus player who is one yellow card away from suspension. ............ JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH Considering the fact that the former Viola player on the Juventus roster that Fiorentina fans love to hate seems very unlikely to start against his old club, the man who will be leading the Bianconeri line seems fairly easy to figure out. Since his red-hot start to life at Juventus in which Randal Kolo Muani scored five goals in his first three games wearing bianconero, the 26-year-old Frenchman has cooled off. ............ Seven games in all competitions Six starts Two assists Zero goals A grand total of 11 shots taken Well crap That’s not great. Averaging less than a shot and a half a game is not great at all. ............ No matter how you feel about how well Kolo Muani is or isn’t playing now that we’re entering the second full month of his time at Juventus, it’s pretty easy to say that he remains one of the biggest goal threats for this squad knowing how Dusan Vlahovic has now been relegated to a bench role. ............ So, if Kolo Muani is to get back to his goal scoring ways, he’ll certainly be doing against a team that will be no slouch at the back by any means. MATCH INFO When: Sunday, March 16, 2025. Where: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy. Official kickoff time: 6 p.m. in Italy and the Central European time zone, 5 p.m. in the United Kingdom, 1 p.m. Eastern time, 10 a.m. Pacific time. . Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/3/16/24384589/fiorentina-juventus-2025-serie-a-matchday-29-preview-team-news-schedule-how-to-watch

Two Key battles in Fiorentina vs Juventus: Kean & Fagioli meet their past While the contests between Fiorentina and Juventus are often synonymous with players meeting their past, this one has a slightly different beat. On most occasions, those who made the move from Florence to Turin are the ones who grab the headlines (the likes of Roberto Baggio, Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa). But this time, it is quite the opposite. ............ On the other hand, the revitalised Moise Kean and Nicolo Fagioli are the ones making the noise this time around. The Italian duo will be keen to prove their worth after being shown the door by the club that witnessed their first steps in professional football, especially the midfielder whose wound remains fresh. So let’s take a closer look at three key battles that could prove elemental in Sunday night’s fixture, with the two former Juventus stars taking centre stage. Nicolo Fagioli vs Teun Koopmeiners With Fagioli asserting the centre role in Raffaele Palladino’s 3-5-2 formation, a clash with Teun Koopmeiners is almost inevitable. ............ Robin Gosens vs Timothy Weah This will be an interesting battle on the wings between the savvy German and the speedy American. Both players have the ability to cause havoc when they surge forward, but can also be caught when they go too deep in their forays. ............ . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/three-key-battles-in-fiorentina-vs-juventus-kean-fagioli-meet-their-past-opinion/

Motta on his Juventus future: The club has ‘wholeheartedly put its faith in me’ After their disastrous defeat against Atalanta where they were battered 4-0 at home, Juventus now turn their attention to Fiorentina, their last game before domestic football pauses for the first international break of 2025. Before the match, coach Thiago Motta spoke about tactics, his players, and, as rumors circulate about a potential change at the helm, his future. ............ “At a time like this, you have to remain calm to weigh up the situation correctly: I’m the first person to question myself,” Motta said. “I know full well that it falls to the coach when things don’t go well, but I remain focused on tomorrow’s game. We have a duty from now until the end of the season to try and get as many points as possible.” ............ “My future? That’s not the priority: right now, we’re focused on playing a great game against Fiorentina and getting the best possible result,” Motta said. “I can say, though, that I am delighted with the support of the owners in recent days. The club has wholeheartedly put its faith in me.” ............ “It will be a tough contest as it always is in Florence,” Motta said. “They are fresh from their UEFA Conference League victory, which will have boosted their confidence. We will be up against a great team with quality players who know how to approach big matches. If you’re Juventus, every game is important and tomorrow’s match against Fiorentina is the most important because it is our next one. We will need to be ready to compete in every area of the pitch. Every duel will be crucial in trying to win the game. Tomorrow we will have a great opportunity to prove our worth. The first leg match was one of the best we have played this season, but we did not manage to win it. Tomorrow we will have to demonstrate the best version of ourselves on the pitch.” ............ . Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2025/3/15/24386559/juventus-thiago-motta-cristiano-giuntoli-2025-serie-a-matchday-29-match-preview-press-conference

Fiorentina vs Juventus: Preview and Prediction Fiorentina will be hoping to get their season back on track with a big win against Juventus at the Artemio Franchi Stadium on Sunday. The visitors must claim all three points to maintain their top-four position, while the hosts need a win to stay in the race for a European spot. The home team are eighth on the points table with 45 points in their 28 outings. Fiorentina were on course for a top-six finish, but a run of just one win in their last five games has derailed their momentum. ............ The visitors are currently fourth on the points table with 52 points in their 28 outings. The Bianconeri are nine points behind the league leaders, Inter Milan, and only a miracle can help them close that gap. More importantly, they are just a point clear of fifth-placed Lazio and cannot afford to drop points. After a run of five straight wins in Serie A, Juventus suffered a massive 4-0 defeat at the hands of Atalanta at home, and they will be eager to return to winning ways. ............ Team News & Tactics Fiorentina ............ Probable Lineup (3-5-2): de Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Adli, Cataldi, Ndour, Gosens; Beltran, Kean Juventus The visitors will be without the services of Douglas Luiz, while Nicolo Savona, Jonas Rouhi, and Francisco Conceicao are a major doubt for this one. Juventus will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Michele Di Gregorio will be in goal. Timothy Weah and Andrea Cambiaso will feature as full-backs, while Federico Gatti will pair up with Piere Kalulu at the heart of the defence. The back four will be looking for a clean sheet, and they will receive significant support from Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli, who will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Weston McKennie will reprise the no. 10 role, while Kenan Yildiz and Nico Gonzalez will start out wide on the flanks. Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line for Juventus against Fiorentina on Sunday. Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Weah, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Yildiz, McKennie, Gonzalez; Kolo Muani Key Stats Juventus’s 4-0 defeat against Atalanta was their heaviest home defeat in Serie A since 1967. The Old Lady have won their last two away games, while they have only lost once away from home this season. Out of 85 home league meetings with Juventus, Fiorentina have managed to win only 28 times, with their most recent triumph dating back to May 2022. Fiorentina have experienced a turbulent run in 2025, recording four wins and four defeats in their last eight Serie A matches. La Viola have reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League for the third straight season after overturning a first-leg deficit against Panathinaikos. Player to Watch Moise Kean ............ Prediction Fiorentina 2-2 Juventus Both teams are heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat in the league. These three points are very important for both sides, and they will certainly give it their all. While Juventus will hope to get things back on track after a heavy home defeat, they might not be able to get the desired result against Fiorentina. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw. . Read more -> https://thehardtackle.com/round-up/2025/03/15/fiorentina-vs-juventus-preview-and-prediction/