Fiorentina 2 - 1 Juventus: Fiorentina see off Juventus to give chasing pack hope in title race

Posted Monday, January 16, 2017 by PA

Fiorentina put a dent in Juventus' title charge with a 2-1 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Nikola Kalinic and Federico Chiesa fired Fiorentina in front with goals in either half and, although Gonzalo Higuain got Juve back into it, the Serie A leaders could not find an equaliser.

Defeat leaves Juve one point clear of Roma, although still with a game in hand.

Fiorentina did the bulk of the pressing early on. Matias Vecino had a great chance in the ninth minute when the hosts capitalised on uncertainty in the Juve defence and he wriggled through on the left. But, as the angle tightened, he sent his rising shot against the outside of a post and away to safety for the visitors.

By that point, Kalinic had already seen one shot charged down and they kept the pressure on as Chiesa brought a save out of Gianluigi Buffon with a low shot from the right.

Vecino then fired wide as it began to seem like Fiorentina were going to regret their spurned chances.

They appealed in vain when Kalinic collapsed under a cross, claiming a push, but moments later the Croatian fired them into the lead.

A long ball up fell to Federico Bernardeschi, who slipped in Kalinic in the right channel, from where his low shot across goal beat Buffon to find the bottom corner of the net.

Juve were struggling to get going as an attacking force, with Ciprian Tatarusani having little to do - comfortably holding a long-range volley from Alex Sandro, while watching a header sail comfortably over the bar from Giorgio Chiellini.

As half-time approached they created their best chance. Juan Cuadrado, playing against his former club, tried to get on the end of a cross, but instead the ball ricocheted up, eventually falling for Higuain.

His low shot was blocked by the arm of Maximiliano Olivera, but, as the Fiorentina man was on the ground and looking away from play at the time, the penalty appeals were correctly waved away.

Kalinic had a glorious chance to double the lead four minutes into the second half when played in by Chiesa, but Buffon was quickly off his line to smother the chance.

But they did not have to wait long for the second, with Chiesa the man to score it in the 54th minute. Milan Badelj drove a high ball into the box and Chiesa got the slightest of touches, barely redirecting the ball but doing enough to keep Buffon on his line.

However, Fiorentina had barely finished celebrating when Juventus cut into the lead in rather scrappy fashion, with a loose ball in the area falling for Higuain to stab home.

Vecino appeared to squander a chance to reply immediately, but the flag was raised as he fired high and wide.

With 10 minutes to go, Juve had a great chance to level, but Tatarusano palmed away Higuain's header and then his defenders helped him smother Juve attempts to poke the loose ball home in a goalmouth scramble.

With time running out, Paulo Dybala broke into the area, but he went for power and blazed hopelessly high and wide on his preferred left foot.

In stoppage time, Josip Ilicic wasted an even better chance to seal it, breaking clean through only to lose his nerve in front of goal as Buffon close him down.