Four more rounds to go, and the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign is on the cusp of crowning this season's champions of Italy. Meanwhile, other teams are fighting for a Champions League spot, some for a Europa League berth, and others for survival in the top flight.
Fiorentina, who will be hosting Juventus this Sunday, are hoping to become the first team to try to derail the Juventus party train as the Viola attempt to right their own unsteady ship. However, the Bianconeri appear to be simply unstoppable right now. Will the Tuscan side be able to halt the Turin giants at the Stadio Artemio Franchi?
Fiorentina
After a bright start, things seem to really have gone wrong for Fiorentina. And unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight. The Viola have won just one of their past five Serie A fixtures and one out of nine across all competitions. This includes a recent loss to Udinese this past Wednesday and Paulo Sousa will have it all to do in order to turn things around against Juventus on Sunday.
The Portuguese tactician, who will be facing the side he once played for, may or may not be even with Fiorentina next season. However, for now, the ex-Basel boss is the man on the bench for the Viola, and given that the team has featured in the Europa League for the past couple of seasons, he will be expected to try to at least make sure that happens for the upcoming campaign.
Only Khouma Babacar and Yohan Benalouane will miss this game due to injury, meaning that Sousa should have most of his first-choice options available for tomorrow's game.
Currently in fifth, Fiorentina are six points ahead of AC Milan, which give them a bit of breathing room, and just two behind Inter, which means that they can still achieve fourth spot before the end of this term. Although Juventus have been in excellent form, Fiorentina are no strangers to comebacks against the Bianconeri.
Despite losing their past three meetings across all competitions, the Viola became the first Italian side to beat Juventus at Juventus Stadium courtesy of a Mohamed Salah brace during the 2014/2015 Coppa Italia on March 5, 2015. And on October 20, 2013, Juventus, then under the guidance of Antonio Conte, thought they were cruising to a 2-0 lead.
That is, until Giuseppe Rossi netted a 15-minute hat-trick, and the match eventually finished 4-2 in favor of Sunday's hosts.
Juventus
Since losing to Sassuolo at the end of October, Juventus have been on a roll. Indeed, the reigning Scudetto champions have not looked back since, whilst setting records along the way:
67 - Juventus have gained 67 points out of a possible 69 in their last 23 games, a Serie A record in a run of 23 matches. Tremendous.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) April 18, 2016
The Bianconeri arrive in Florence having powered to a 3-0 win over Lazio to retain their nine-point lead over Napoli. Paulo Dybala was arguably the star of the evening as his brace made sure that Massimiliano Allegri's men continue on what has been an amazing run over the past six months.
In keeping the Aquile quiet, La Vecchia Signora also made it a ninth straight home game sans conceding a goal, which established a new club record, and they will be keen on heaping more misery on a Fiorentina side who have struggled to find their footing since the start of this year.
Juventus will still be without the services of key defender Giorgio Chiellini for this match. Additional absentees will be Claudio Marchisio, who was injured during the team's win over Palermo, as well as Neto, and Martin Caceres. Stefano Sturaro misses out due to suspension.
A win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi will take Juventus one step closer towards a fifth straight Serie A title, regardless of how Napoli fares in their match against Roma on Monday. Will fans see La Vecchia Signora's impressive unbeaten streak extended even further this Sunday?
Which channel is broadcasting Fiorentina vs Juventus on TV or Online?
The Stadio Artemio Franchi will be hosting this Sunday evening fixture between familiar foes Fiorentina and Juventus. Too far away to make the journey to the beautiful city of Florence? No worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has put together some choices to tune in via TV, computer, mobile, or tablet.
Here are some options for fans residing elsewhere in Italy and in the following countries:
- In the USA at 14.45 EST on: fuboTV, beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., beIN SPORTS USA, RAI International
- In Italy at 20.45 CET on: Sky Sport 1 HD Italia, SKY Go Italia, Sky Supercalcio HD, Sky Calcio 1
- In the UK at 19.45 BST on: BT Sport Live Streaming, BT Sport 1
- In Canada at 14.45 ET on: RAI International, beIN Sports Canada, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Fiorentina vs Juventus broadcast page for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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