JUVENTUS 1 FIORENTINA 0
Juventus - Asamoah 42'
Man of the Match - Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus)
A first-half strike from Juventus winger Kwadwo Asamoah secured a 1-0 win over Fiorentina on Sunday and strengthened the champions' huge lead at the top of Italy's Serie A.
On this performance, second-place Roma will have to hope Juventus – who face Fiorentina home and away in the Europa League in the next 11 days – suffer a major slip-up on what looks like a clear path toward a third consecutive scudetto.
Frenchman Paul Pogba said Juve’s 14th home win of the season sent a message to their rivals.
“It was a crucial match for us and an even more important win in terms of the league title,” Pogba told Sky Sport.
Juve coach Antonio Conte hailed his side’s performance, but admitted they breathed a sigh of relief when Ryder Matos’s header came back off Gianluigi Buffon’s crossbar in the closing minutes.
“We played really well in the first half and in the second things slowed down a little, also because players were tired from the midweek international friendlies,” Conte said.
“We gifted Fiorentina a chance to level late on, but thankfully we resisted and came out of it pretty well.”
Claudio Marchisio stepped into Andrea Pirlo’s deep-lying midfield role as the Italy veteran served a one-match ban, while Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, who have scored 26 league goals between them, led the Bianconeri attack against Vincenzo Montella’s men.
Fiorentina handed Juve their only defeat of the season, a 4-2 comeback win in Florence last October, but had only one win in their last 21 visits to Turin.
Montella said Juve set the agenda and his side had failed to adapt.
“When you play against Juventus, a lot depends on how they set up,” he told Sky Sports.
“We were better in the second half when we played higher up the park, but it wasn’t the game we had set out to play.”
Juve dominated possession and Fiorentina’s defence was finally breached three minutes before the half, with Asamoah reaping rewards for a determined performance throughout.
The Ghanaian cut inside from the left and showed some nice skill with his left foot amid several purple jerseys before firing a right-footed shot past Neto at the keeper’s far post, with the help of a slight deflection.
“The coach keeps telling me to cut in and try shooting from that angle,” he told Sky Sports Italia. “It’s the first with my right foot and I am very happy.”
Juve, who have won all 14 home games, had a scare as Fiorentina substitute Ryder Matos headed against the crossbar with 10 minutes to go.
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