Juventus will be keen to maintain their unbeaten record at home as they take on the Viola for the second time in a week.

Preview: Bianconeri keen to take one step closer to final against familiar Viola opponents

1-1. No, that was not the scoreline following the Juventus-Fiorentina game this past Sunday, which finished as a 1-0 victory in favour of the Bianconeri thanks to Kwadwo Asamoah's late first half strike. Rather, it reflects how the two sides have done in terms of head-to-head competitions so far this season, with Fiorentina having the honour of being the only side to defeat Antonio Conte's men earlier this year.

Now, the two will face off for the second time in a three-part rumble that started last weekend and will end the following Thursday, but unlike the league in which Juventus might as well already be given the Scudetto--so insurmountable is their lead at the top--the Europa League is a whole new affair. Of course, having been dumped out of the Champions League and with the final set to be played in Turin this May, La Vecchia Signora would be loathe to not be one of those teams on the pitch.

 

The Viola, of course, will be keen to make sure that does not happen. Outdone to the last Champions League spot by AC Milan who were hammered by Atletico on an aggregate score of 5-1 yesterday, Vincenzo Montella's troops would like to go as far in the tournament as possible as they look to slowly begin establishing themselves as a real contender in not just Italy, but on the continent as well.

Well, it certainly will not be easy. Juventus have been simply impossible to defeat at home, whether it has been in league or continental play. Even the likes of Real Madrid had to settle for a draw back during the Champions League group stages and indeed, no team has been able to leave Juventus Stadium with all three points in hand. The last to do so was none other than Bayen Munich back in April 2013 with goals from Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro sealed die Roten's progress by 4-0 on aggregate.

For the Tuscan side, their job is made much more difficult due to the long-term absence of Giuseppe Rossi, the man that single-handedly dispatched Juventus back on 20 October with his 14-minute hat-trick. Other attackers, notably Mario Gomez, has failed to find his footing since coming back from his own injury woes and on-loan Alessandro Matri has reverted to the same form that had many Milan fans questioning why he was purchased from Juventus in the first place.

Meanwhile, as Montella struggles to figure out who exactly will lead the line, Conte is spoilt with a plethora of choices with both Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez having settled in nicely, as well as new signing Pablo Osvaldo, who scored in both legs against Trabzonspor to ensure the Bianconeri avoided another Turkish nightmare like what had happened with Galatasaray.

As the Viola return to the scene of last week's defeat, will they able to brush that aside and cause an upset in Turin? Or will Juventus continue their march on as they look to add continental glory to their trophy haul this season?

Calcio fans will hopefully be in for a festa as the first leg of this all-Italian clash takes place on Thursday afternoon (or evening, depending on where one calls home).

Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores

Watch Juventus vs Fiorentina live on Thursday March 13, 2014:

In Canada at 16.05 ET on: Sportsnet World

In the USA at 16.05 ET on: Fox Soccer Plus, ESPN3, Fox Soccer 2Go, SiriusXM FC

In the UK at 20.05 GMT on: BT Sport 1

In Italy at 21.05 CET on: Canale 5, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, Premium Calcio

For live scores and more live listings of this round of 16 Europa League clash, visit the Juventus vs. Fiorentina match page.