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Fiorentina win a famous victory against Juventus
Posted - 2nd March 2008
A victory of any sorts would have done for Fiorentina today, playing against Juventus in Turin. They did it, though, in style, coming back from 2-1 to win 2-3 in extra time. It's a victory that opens up the gap between the viola and AC Milan, fighting for the fourth-place finish, and makes a third place finish for Cesare Prandelli's team a real possibility.
The sport statisticians over at the gazzetta dello sport remind readers that this game bore echoes of another famous victory, back in 1994. Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri was also involved back then, but was coach of Fiorentina at the time, who suffered defeat at the hands of Juventus after a magnificent comeback stage-managed by a youthful Alessandro Del Piero. Defeat for his team again, this time round wearing the black and white of Juventus. The Turin team which has had a reasonably good season has, of late, stalled somewhat, and now faces the real possibility of entering into a points battle to save its position for the champions league next season.
Before the game Prandelli spoke of a Fiorentina team ready to show its colours, and to prove it has more tricks up its sleeve other than the brilliant Romanian striker Adrian Mutu - currently unavailable after picking up an injury during an awkward clash with Roma goalkeeper Doni during last weekend's game. Today Fiorentina came good on that promise, with goals from Gobbi, Papa Waigo, and Osvaldo to bring them to victory. The absence of the star strikers, Cristian Vieri and Mutu a mere talking point.
The first half saw the Juventus defence under pressure, primarily from the wings with Tomas Ujfalusi e Massimo Gobbi causing problems for Molinaro and Zebina. Ranieri fielded his more experienced attacking couple Del Piero and David Trezeguet (who, while he's spent most of the season as top scorer, has been patchy of late). The pairing, though, produced little - with Trezeguet missing a great chance from a cross by Del Piero early on. Fiorentina took the advantage with a goal from Gobbi - his first for Fiorentina in Serie A.
A troubled Juventus kept themselves in the game with an opportunistic finish by Sissoko, after Frey made a rare mistake.
The second half started, thus, on an equal footing. Mauro Camoranesi, that Juventus stalwart who has made the difference for them so many times, smashed in a great goal volleying in a shot from a cross by Molinaro. Juventus, who, for the most part this season have failed to dazzle, are certainly a team capable of maintaining a slim lead usually, and so Prandelli took a risk, putting on two strikers Papa Waigo and Osvaldo. It was a good decision, and vindicates the decision of Italian coaches to nominate him coach of the year two-years-running.
It was Papa Waigo N'Diaye, the Senegalese striker who came to prominence when he became top goal scorer in Serie B with Cesena last year (the same year that both Napoli and Juventus competed in Serie B), making all the difference by equalising, slotting in a diagonal shot to beat Gigi Buffon.
With the second goal you could be forgiven for presuming that both teams would take the foot of the gas and settle for a more-than-respectable draw. A point would have been enough for both to maintain their positions in the league table. Fiorentina, though, continued to bring the game on to Juventus, and were repaid for their efforts by a goal for Osvaldo, coming off a cross by Papa Waigo. Who dares wins, with or without Mutu it would seem.
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