Prediction: Juventus vs Fiorentina

Prediction: Juventus win

Best Odds: 8/13

Bookmaker: 888sport

Serie A returns this weekend for the final set of fixtures prior to the last international break of the year. It’s been an incredible few months for Italian football ever since the nation’s triumph at Euro 2020 and since then, they seem to have kicked things up a notch with their domestic top tier. There are so many clubs in that league who have managed to up their game and as a result, Juventus vs Fiorentina is somehow turning out to be a midtable clash on Saturday.

Juventus

Juventus are one of the biggest clubs in world football but ever since losing their Serie A crown last season, things have just felt different. They appear to be heading down the Barcelona “rebuilding” route and while there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, it could harm their chances of competing for the title in the years to come. Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure wasn’t the only reason why this is happening but given his overall influence, you’d have to think it played a role.

Fiorentina

It’s nice to see Fiorentina back in the conversation for European football because as we know, once upon a time, they were considered to be one of the most exciting teams on the continent. Their time in the sunshine has dwindled in recent years but with a new influx of young talent, including the unstoppable Dušan Vlahović, they look better than they have done for quite a while. If they can start to turn their defensive strengths into consistent results, the top six – and four – isn’t out of bounds.

Factors to Consider

• In their last meeting back in April, Juventus and Fiorentina drew 1-1.
• Juventus have won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six games.
• Fiorentina have won three and lost three of their last six games.
• Juventus have scored nine goals and conceded seven in their last six games.
• Fiorentina have scored eight goals and conceded four in their last six games.

Conclusion

The one word we’d use to describe a game like this is frantic; and we haven’t even seen it play out yet. Both clubs have impact players who can score or assist a goal out of thin air which, in our view, is a pretty handy trait to possess. We expect to see an open game of football with a lot of crunching challenges, as we’ve come to expect from derby days. In the end, though it’ll be Juventus who rise up and score a late winner to get their campaign back on track.

Prediction: Juventus win

Best Odds: 8/13

Bookmaker: 888sport