Juventus go top after 2-1 win
Juventus went back to the top of Serie A after holding on for a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina in Turin yesterday. With previous leaders Udinese and Lazio not playing until today, Juve took advantage of the oppor-tunity to move back to the summit,...
Juventus went back to the top of Serie A after holding on for a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina in Turin yesterday.
With previous leaders Udinese and Lazio not playing until today, Juve took advantage of the oppor-tunity to move back to the summit, although it wasn’t an entirely convincing performance.
They should have had the match wrapped up at half-time but led only through a Leonardo Bonucci goal.
Fiorentina came storming back in the second period and equalised through Stevan Jovetic but Ales-sandro Matri grabbed the winner eight minutes later as Juve maintained their unbeaten start.
They started the game at break-neck speed and took the lead on 13 minutes.
Andrea Pirlo’s corner somehow found Arturo Vidal around the penalty spot. His shot lacked power but Artur Boruc spilled it and Bonucci was the only player to react to the loose ball in the six-yard box.
Mirko Vucinic wasted a pair of chances with weak finishes from good positions.
Fiorentina had been feeble in the first period but Sinisa Mihajlovic threw Alberto Gilardino into the fray in the second half. That move paid instant dividends.
Juve keeper Marco Storari had to tip over a downward header from Jovetic from a corner. Gilardino then fed Vargas who teed up Jovetic and curled an unstoppable finish into the top corner on 58 minutes.
The tide seemed to be turning but Pepe managed to slip in Matri to score a striker’s goal and restore the hosts’ advantage.
Although Juve sat deeper as the game wore on, they came closest to scoring again when Boruc made a fine save from Matri.
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| Juventus | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 16 |
| Udinese | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 15 |
| Lazio | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 14 |
| Cagliari | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 12 |
| Napoli | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 11 |
| Roma | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Milan | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Palermo | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Catania | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Siena | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| Genoa | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Fiorentina | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Chievo | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
| Parma | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 9 |
| Atalanta | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Inter | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 7 |
| Novara | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
| Bologna | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
| Lecce | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
| Cesena | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
Playing today: 20.45 Atalanta vs Inter; Cesena vs Cagliari; Chievo vs Bologna; Genoa vs Roma; Lazio vs Catania; Milan vs Parma; Napoli vs Udinese; Novara vs Siena.
Tomorrow: 20.45 Palermo vs Lecce.