STADIO ARTEMIO FRANCHI (Florence) – Fiorentina and Juventus shared the points in a 0-0 draw in front of a stunning atmosphere at the Stadio Franchi in Serie A.
A courageous Viola had the better chances, but were unable to get an eventual winner, with Juventus struggling to impose themselves on the game.
Nevertheless, it means Fiorentina are yet to win in Serie A in 17 matches, equalling a record set in the 1970/71 season.
Maurizio Sarri was forced to use his first substitute after just five minutes, as Douglas Costa came off injured, being replaced by former Viola man Federico Bernardeschi, welcomed onto the pitch by the boos of his old fans.
The first chance of the game was as random as it gets, with Wojciech Szczesny almost replicating a Loris Karius against Real Madrid incident, with the ball bouncing off Federico Chiesa but going high over the bar.
An action packed and balanced first half saw efforts from both sides, with Dalbert having the best chance with a close range header pushed out by Szczesny.
Fiorentina continued to put pressure on Juventus, controlling possession, while also having the best opportunities in front of goal.
Gaetano Castrovilli made terrible connection with the ball coming from a perfect Chiesa pass, wasting a colossal chance to break the deadlock.
It was a terrible afternoon for Juve concerning injuries, Danilo also a forced substitution, with Juan Cuadrado – another former Fiorentina plater – coming on.
Juventus had an excellent chance on the counter, but German Pezzella was great in intercepting Cuadrado’s cross before Ronaldo was able to tap into an open goal.
At the other end, Nikola Milenkovic could have done better with a header from inside the box, but instead it was too easy for Szczesny.
