Juventus Season 2013-2014

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Fiorentina-Juventus Betting Preview:
Gomez to strike again versus La Vecchia Signora

The German's late equaliser in the first leg means Antonio Conte's men will be forced to attack
at the Artemio Franchi, and Al Hain-Cole expects this to lead to goals at both ends.

Mar 20, 2014

Fiorentina will be hoping for the last laugh when they take on Juventus for the third time in a fortnight in Thursday’s Europa League last 16 clash at the Artemio Franchi.

AMAZONIAN

Having bagged a valuable away goal in last week’s 1-1 draw in Turin, Vincenzo Montella’s men are available at 14/5 (3.80) with William Hill to finish the job with a victory this evening.

However, La Vecchia Signora are unbeaten in 11 games and come into this match as 21/20 (2.05) favourites to turn the tie around with an away win.

The visitors have drawn seven of their last nine fixtures in this competition and are on offer at 11/5 (3.20) to hold their opponents to a third consecutive European stalemate.

AMAZONIAN

Having led his side to two consecutive Serie A titles and currently on the verge of making it three in a row, Antonio Conte will be eager to add something other than the Scudetto to the trophy cabinet this season.

Despite his absolute dominance in the league, the former Siena coach has so far failed to translate that success into cup competitions, where his side have consistently underperformed both in Europe and the Coppa Italia.

With this season’s Europa League final set to take place in their own Juventus Stadium, the Italian champions will be more desperate than ever to go all the way in this competition, meaning Mario Gomez’s late equaliser in the home leg came as a crushing blow.

AMAZONIAN

Juventus must now travel to the site of their only Serie A defeat of the season (a crushing 4-2 collapse in October after leading 2-0 at the break) needing to score at least once to progress.

While that task should not prove too difficult against a Fiorentina team that have not kept a single clean sheet in the last eight, shutting out an attack that have failed to score just once in their last 20 home games represents a much tougher task.

AMAZONIAN

With the visitors pushing forward, odds of 4/5 (1.80) are surely too good to pass up on both teams finding the net, particularly given Gomez’s recent revival in front of goal.

The German striker has sat out the majority of the season since last summer’s big money arrival through injury, but with two in his last two looks almost back to his deadly best and is well worth backing at 6/4 (2.50) to strike anytime tonight.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Ilicic: 'Forget the first leg'

Mar 20, 2014

Josip Ilicic starts Fiorentina-Juventus in the Europa League tonight and insists “we cannot think about the first leg.”

AMAZONIAN

The former Palermo man will partner Mario Gomez in attack at 18.00 GMT after a 1-1 first leg result in Turin. Click here for the line-ups.

“We all know how important this game and the victory would be, not just for us, but also for the city,” Ilicic told Mediaset.

“We hope it ends well and will see what happens on the field. We must not and cannot think about the first leg and the fact a 0-0 would qualify us.

AMAZONIAN

“This is a whole other game and we must play our style of football.”

Genoa put a man on Andrea Pirlo at the weekend, so will Fiorentina do the same?

“Juventus have many great champions, not just Pirlo. They are a strong team and we have to stop all of them performing.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Marotta: 'Tough Florence atmosphere'

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta admits there is a “tough atmosphere” at the Stadio Franchi.

AMAZONIAN

The director spoke to Sky Sport Italia on the touchline ahead of the 19.00 CET kick-off in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16.

“The DNA of Juventus is to try our best to honour every competition. It’s a tough atmosphere tonight, we can see and hear that, but it is our duty to give all we can,” said Marotta.

The first leg ended 1-1 in Turin and Marotta and his staff had lunch with Fiorentina patrons today, a chance to calm the often very tense rapport between the rival clubs.

AMAZONIAN

“I can say every time there is a European fixture there is this protocol of a lunch put on by the host club. It was a cordial occasion.

“We talked about football in general and the two clubs, but we didn’t clarify anything in particular.”

AMAZONIAN

Juventus remain the only Serie A club to have built their own stadium, but others including Roma, Milan, Catania and Cagliari are eager to follow suit.

“We can be used as a model for others. I’d also like to note the final eight in the Champions League are clubs who make considerably more revenue than us and that does make a difference in the market and therefore eventually on the field.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Line-ups: Fiorentina-Juventus

Mar 20, 2014

Mario Gomez, Juan Cuadrado and Josip Ilicic start against Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Andrea Pirlo in the Europa League.

AMAZONIAN

The second leg of the Round of 16 kicks off at 18.00 GMT and follows on from the 1-1 draw in Turin.

It’s not only an all-Italian European showdown, but also a long-term bitter rivalry between these two clubs.

This is the third meeting in two weeks, as Juve won 1-0 in Serie A and the first leg was last Thursday.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri’s only League defeat of the campaign was at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, when they fell 4-2 in October despite leading 2-0.

Borja Valero is available because his ban only applies to Serie A, while Gomez starts after breaking his post-injury goal drought in the first leg.

Cuadrado was dropped for the game in Turin, but is part of the attack here with Juan Manuel Vargas at left-back, though Mati Fernandez and Giuseppe Rossi are sidelined.

AMAZONIAN

As always with Fiorentina, it can mutate to a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 depending on the situation.

Rossi has flown in after his latest check-up and will be in the stands in Florence this evening.

Juventus have to rearrange their defence, as Andrea Barzagli and Angelo Ogbonna are both injured along with Claudio Marchisio.

AMAZONIAN

It means Martin Caceres completes the back three with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

Tevez returns after two games out with a knee tendon problem to partner Llorente, while Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba form the midfield trio.

AMAZONIAN

There will also be fewer Juve fans than usual at the Stadio Franchi, as there is an ultras boycott in protest at what they deem restrictive measures on this away game.

Fiorentina are unbeaten in nine European games this season, one of only three teams left in the tournament.

AMAZONIAN

FIORENTINA: Neto; Tomovic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Savic, Vargas; Aquilani, Pizarro, Borja Valero; Cuadrado, Gomez, Ilicic

Fiorentina bench: Rosati, Roncaglia, Pasqual, Bakic, Joaquin, Ambrosini, Matri


JUVENTUS: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Llorente

Juventus bench: Storari, Lichtsteiner, Mattiello, Romagna, Padoin, Vucinic, Osvaldo

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

HT 0-0: Fiorentina-Juve all square

Mar 20, 2014

Fiorentina-Juventus is 0-0 at the break, though Paul Pogba, Josip Ilicic, Carlos Tevez and David Pizarro had great chances.

AMAZONIAN

If the scoreline were to remain like this, the Viola would go through on the away goals rule.

The 1-1 result from the first leg left everything wide open for this Europa League Round of 16. It was the third meeting in under two weeks, as the Bianconeri won 1-0 in Serie A. Juan Cuadrado was dropped for the Turin tie, but back in the starting XI here with Mario Gomez and Josip Ilicic. Borja Valero was available, as his ban only applies to Serie A, but Mati Fernandez sidelined. Juve missed the injured Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna and Claudio Marchisio, so Martin Caceres stepped into the back three. Giuseppe Rossi was in the stands after flying in from America to be with his teammates.

There was a great chance within the opening three minutes, as Gomez ran on to a Borja Valero through ball and drilled his angled drive inches past the far post. Moments later Cuadrado’s pass rolled beyond Gomez in the middle.

AMAZONIAN

Fernando Llorente’s header was wide and a Carlos Tevez pull-back was crucially cut out by Stefan Savic. Paul Pogba had a good opportunity, as he chested down a long ball and under pressure managed to half-volley with the outside of his right boot for it to flash across the goal.

Neto got down well to parry a Pogba header off the line, but the offside flag was up anyway. A corner was not cleared effectively and David Pizarro blasted just wide of the upright, while Neto smothered Tevez and Pogba snapshots.

Gonzalo Rodriguez was booked for a challenge on Tevez and will be suspended for Fiorentina’s next European game.

AMAZONIAN

The visitors had a long move on 37 minutes that saw Mauricio Isla’s shot charged down and Arturo Vidal knock down a cross for Tevez’s volley over.

Ilicic wasted a golden opportunity, scuffing his finish high and wide off his right foot after Giorgio Chiellini’s defensive error.

At the other end, Tevez again stung Neto’s gloves with a sudden strike.

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus (Half-Time, 1-1 agg)

Fiorentina: Neto; Tomovic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Savic; Cuadrado, Aquilani, Pizarro, Vargas; Borja Valero; Gomez, Ilicic

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Llorente

Ref: Webb (ENG)

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Pirlo pearler sends Conte's side through

The veteran struck a sublime free kick after Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off
to secure a quarter-final spot for the Italian champions.

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus sealed a 2-1 aggregate win over bitter Italian rivals Fiorentina after Andrea Pirlo's superb strike gave them a 1-0 win at the Artemio Franchi on Thursday.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo has won every major Italian domestic trophy and has experienced much success in European football, but has yet to taste glory in the continent's second tier competition.

But the 34-year-old's hopes of adding that trophy to his list of honours are still intact after he helped Juve overcome Fiorentina for the second time this month, scoring from a free kick again after netting a late winner against Genoa in similar fashion at the weekend.

Juve beat Vincenzo Montella's men 1-0 in Serie A, but it was the hosts who held a potentially crucial away goal going into the game after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Turin.

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina had dictated play for much of Thursday's encounter, but the last-16 tie turned midway through the second half when the Florence club saw skipper Gonzalo Rodriguez dismissed after conceding the crucial free kick on the edge of the area.

Pirlo capitalised on the opportunity presented to him, finding the top corner from the set-piece to seal progress to the quarter-finals for Antonio Conte's men 2-1 on aggregate.

Carlos Tevez returned to the Juve starting XI after missing the first leg and the win over Genoa on Sunday, while Mario Gomez was preferred to Alessandro Matri at the head of the Fiorentina attack.

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina almost made the ideal start inside the first two minutes when Gomez – who scored the equaliser in the first encounter - raced through on goal, but the German could only scuff his shot wide.

The visitors gradually worked their way into the game, although Juve struggled to create any goalscoring opportunities in the first half.

Instead, it was Montella's men who continued to look the more dangerous, David Pizarro's long-range drive forcing Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon into a fine reflex save just before the half-hour mark.

AMAZONIAN

Tevez and Paul Pogba then drew routine saves from Neto in the Fiorentina goal, before Pirlo curled over with an ambitious free kick from range.

Buffon was the busier of the two keepers for much of the encounter and needed to be on his guard again to keep out a powerful swerving strike from Juan Cuadrado early in the second half.

Yet Juve remained a threat, spurning a glorious opportunity as Arturo Vidal headed narrowly over from Chilean compatriot Mauricio Isla.

AMAZONIAN

However, Juve's hopes were significantly boosted on 69 minutes as Rodriguez was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Fernando Llorente.

And Conte's men immediately took advantage as Pirlo slammed the resulting free kick into the top corner beyond a helpless Neto.

From there Juve were able to take complete control of the contest and were denied a second when Neto produced a fantastic stop from Tevez's close-range header, but the Italian champions held on to maintain their hopes of reaching the final on home turf.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

EL: Pirlo ends Fiorentina dream

Andrea Pirlo’s free kick gave Juventus a 1-0 victory away to 10-man
Fiorentina and a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Mar 20, 2014

The 1-1 result from the first leg left everything wide open for this Europa League Round of 16. It was the third meeting in under two weeks, as the Bianconeri won 1-0 in Serie A. Juan Cuadrado was dropped for the Turin tie, but back in the starting XI here with Mario Gomez and Josip Ilicic. Borja Valero was available, as his ban only applies to Serie A, but Mati Fernandez sidelined. Juve missed the injured Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna and Claudio Marchisio, so Martin Caceres stepped into the back three. Giuseppe Rossi was in the stands after flying in from America to be with his teammates.

AMAZONIAN

There was a great chance within the opening three minutes, as Gomez ran on to a Borja Valero through ball and drilled his angled drive inches past the far post. Moments later Cuadrado’s pass rolled beyond Gomez in the middle.

Fernando Llorente’s header was wide and a Carlos Tevez pull-back was crucially cut out by Stefan Savic. Paul Pogba had a good opportunity, as he chested down a long ball and under pressure managed to half-volley with the outside of his right boot for it to flash across the goal.

Neto got down well to parry a Pogba header off the line, but the offside flag was up anyway. A corner was not cleared effectively and David Pizarro blasted just wide of the upright, while Neto smothered Tevez and Pogba snapshots.

AMAZONIAN

Gonzalo Rodriguez was booked for a challenge on Tevez and will be suspended for Fiorentina’s next European game.

The visitors had a long move on 37 minutes that saw Mauricio Isla’s shot charged down and Arturo Vidal knock down a cross for Tevez’s volley over.

Ilicic wasted a golden opportunity, scuffing his finish high and wide off his right foot after Giorgio Chiellini’s defensive error.

AMAZONIAN

At the other end, Tevez again stung Neto’s gloves with a sudden strike. Straight after the restart the Argentine was dangerous with an effort deflected over by Rodriguez.

The second half started badly for the hosts, as Pizarro keeled over with a muscular problem and made way for Massimo Ambrosini.

Cuadrado went on a promising counter-attack and was barged over in the D by Vidal, who received a yellow card that means he’ll be suspended for his next UEFA match. Borja Valero curled the resulting free kick over the wall, but too slowly to trouble Gigi Buffon.

AMAZONIAN

Another set play was knocked on for Nenad Tomovic, but the defender hesitated and allowed Bonucci to charge down the finish. Cuadrado was also booked for tripping Kwadwo Asamoah and goes into a European ban.

Buffon finally had a tough save to make on 56 minutes, beating away a powerful Cuadrado strike. Vidal should’ve done better when nodding an Isla cross over the bar from eight yards.

Gomez pounced on a Chiellini error and combined with Cuadrado, but the German was closed down in the area. A Pogba overhead kick was off target and Tevez again fired straight at Neto.

AMAZONIAN

There was a turning point on 69 minutes when Llorente turned Gonzalo Rodriguez and was brought down on the edge of the box. It was the defender’s second bookable offence, leaving Fiorentina with 10 men. More importantly, it gave Pirlo a free kick that he smashed into the far top corner with power and precision rather than his usual curled finish. It was his fifth free kick goal of the season, the second in a week after he decided a 1-0 victory at Genoa.

That goal put Juve ahead on the night and on aggregate, so 10-man Fiorentina needed a goal to force extra time.

It was Neto who needed a desperate reaction save on Llorente’s diving header from point-blank range, then a one-handed parry on substitute Stephan Lichtsteiner at the base of the near post.

AMAZONIAN

Alberto Aquilani’s strike was smothered by Buffon, but the Viola were unable to turn it around with 10 men. In the final minute Vidal wasted the chance to secure the win with a free header wide from Daniel Osvaldo's chipped cross, much to Antonio Conte's fury.

In stoppages Osvaldo went on the counter and rolled across to Tevez, but Neto smothered at his feet and was kicked in the back of the head. The goalkeeper was livid and referee Howard Webb booked both players.

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus (1-2 agg)

Scorers: Pirlo 70 (J)

Fiorentina: Neto; Tomovic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Savic; Cuadrado, Aquilani, Pizarro (Ambrosini 48), Vargas; Borja Valero; Gomez (Matri 63), Ilicic

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla (Lichtsteiner 76), Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Llorente (Osvaldo 87)

Ref: Webb (ENG)

Sent off: Rodriguez 69 (F)

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Fiorentina vs. Juventus: Europa League Score,
Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Mar 20, 2014

Andrea Pirlo came to Juventus' rescue once again, scoring the lone goal with a superb free-kick as Juve won 1-0 at 10-man Fiorentina on Thursday evening to advance to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

AMAZONIAN

With Juventus needing only a single goal to advance, Pirlo rifled in a 71st-minute free-kick moments after Fiorentina's Gonzalo Rodriguez had been sent off for his second bookable offence. Coupled with last week's 1-1 draw at Juventus, the Bianconeri moved into the quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

It was the second time in as many games that Pirlo had played the role of set-piece hero for Juve. On Sunday, the 34-year-old Italian international midfielder propelled Juventus to a Serie A victory at Genoa with a goal from a 89th-minute free-kick.

WhoScored.com ✔ @WhoScored
Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus FT: Shots(OT) 11(3) - 19(7), Possession 44% - 56%, Tackles 22 - 21 http://bit.ly/1dubO21 #UEL #FiorentinaJuve

AMAZONIAN

This time, the stage was the Europa League round-of-16 second leg at Fiorentina's Stadio Artemio Franchi. And after playing hero once again, Pirlo has put Juventus in good position for European glory this spring.

Leading Serie A by a massive 14 points, Juventus look certain to win a third straight league title. After seeing off Fiorentina's stiff challenge, the Bianconeri must rank among the favourites for the Europa League crown as well.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, are 10 points behind third-placed Napoli in the race for Italy's final Champions League spot but remain well-positioned to qualify for next season's Europa League via their league finish. The Viola are set to face Napoli in the Coppa Italia final on May 3.

AMAZONIAN

After scoring a late equaliser in last week's first leg, Fiorentina settled into the second leg quickly and immediately started creating chances. Josip Ilicic sent a long-range shot off target in the second minute, and Mario Gomez skimmed the post a minute later after beating Gianluigi Buffon.

Juventus soon gained a foothold, and Fernando Llorente headed off target in the seventh minute. Paul Pogba's 24th-minute header then forced Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto into a spectacular save, but Pogba had already been ruled offside.

Fiorentina came close again in the 28th minute, as David Pizarro volleyed just wide of the bottom corner. At the other end, Neto smothered Carlos Tevez's shot in the 29th minute and saved again from Pogba two minutes later.

AMAZONIAN

The hosts' best chance of the first half came in the 39th minute, when Ilicic took advantage of a poor clearance by Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini. But after dribbling to the edge of the box, Ilicic blasted his shot well over the bar.

With the match still tied 0-0 at half-time, the two teams produced end-to-end action in the early moments of the second 45 minutes. Buffon saved Borja Valero's free-kick in the 52nd minute and again from Juan Cuadrado's powerful strike five minutes later.

Arturo Vidal had Juventus' best chance yet in the 59th minute, but he headed off target from Mauricio Isla's cross. Pogba shot off target five minutes later, and Tevez had another effort saved in the 66th minute.

AMAZONIAN

The game changed with just over 20 minutes left, as Fiorentina went down to 10 men. Rodriguez, who had already been booked in the first half, drew his second booking—and subsequent red card—in the 69th minute for a foul on Llorente.

From the resulting free-kick, Pirlo curled his shot into the top corner to give Juventus the crucial breakthrough goal. Leading 1-0, Juventus came close again in the 82nd minute through Stephan Lichtsteiner and again eight minutes later through Vidal's header.

But the misses didn't matter, and Pirlo's lone goal again made the difference.

AMAZONIAN

Grades

FIORENTINA

Neto 7.6
Juan Cuadrado 6.7
Stefan Savic 7.0
Gonzalo Rodriguez 6.3
Nenad Tomovic 6.4
David Pizarro 7.0
Juan Vargas 6.2
Alberto Aquilani 6.9
Borja Valero 7.0
Josip Ilicic 6.0
Mario Gomez 6.5

Substitutes Rating

Massimo Ambrosini (for Pizarro, 46') 6.3
Alessandro Matri (for Gomez, 64') 5.9
Facundo Roncaglia (for Ilicic, 72') 6.1

Ratings via WhoScored.com

AMAZONIAN

JUVENTUS

Gianluigi Buffon 7.0
Leonardo Bonucci 7.4
Martin Caceres 7.3
Giorgio Chiellini 7.0
Mauricio Isla 7.1
Kwadwo Asamoah 6.5
Paul Pogba 7.6
ANDREA PIRLO 8.4
Arturo Vidal 7.6
Carlos Tevez 6.8
Fernando Llorente 6.2

Substitutes Rating

Stephan Lichtsteiner (for Isla, 76') 6.7
Pablo Osvaldo (for Llorente, 88') 6.4

Ratings via WhoScored.com

AMAZONIAN

Up Next

Fiorentina play at Napoli in Serie A on Sunday. Juventus play at Catania the same day.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Bonucci: 'Juve are a great team'

Mar 20, 2014

Leonardo Bonucci said Juventus were able to eliminate Fiorentina thanks to “the awareness we are a great team.”

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo’s free kick proved decisive on the night and overall, sending the Bianconeri through 2-1 on aggregate into the Europa League quarter-finals.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game because they too wanted to keep going in this competition,” Bonucci told Mediaset.

“We played with the awareness that we are a great team and the right humility that allowed us to suffer under pressure.

AMAZONIAN

“Plus we have a champion like Pirlo who can turn any game. Those who step on to the field put themselves at the disposal of the side and sacrifice for their teammates.

“We will enjoy the victory and only think about the draw after the match with Catania. Scudetto? Until it is mathematically ours, we won’t say we’ve won anything.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Aquilani: 'Heads held high'

Mar 20, 2014

Alberto Aquilani insists Fiorentina leave the Europa League “with heads held high” after the defeat to Juventus.

AMAZONIAN

The first leg had ended 1-1 in Turin, but Andrea Pirlo’s free kick proved decisive after Gonzalo Rodriguez had been sent off.

“There is bitterness and disappointment,” the midfielder told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s a shame, because we kept up with a great team like Juve. We made them suffer and scared the Bianconeri, but the result speaks clearly.

AMAZONIAN

“We set out with an unusual system for us and I was asked to sacrifice my usual game to block Paul Pogba, as he needs only a moment to make the difference.

“We created three or four scoring opportunities and could’ve taken the lead. There is both bitterness at going out and the pride that we leave with our heads held high.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Montella: 'Proud of Fiorentina'

Mar 20, 2014

Vincenzo Montella complimented Juventus for their Europa League win, but was “proud” of Fiorentina and their fans.

AMAZONIAN

The first leg had ended 1-1 in Turin, but Andrea Pirlo scored with a wonderful free kick after Gonzalo Rodriguez had been sent off.

“Football is made up of incidents and in this case Juve did well to create and finish their chance with Pirlo,” the Viola Coach told Mediaset.

“For one day we will soak up the bitterness, but tomorrow we will begin again seeking our objectives, without forgetting the incredible work we’ve done so far. Now we want to end our season on a high.”

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina are fourth in Serie A and will face Napoli in the Coppa Italia Final in May.

“The applause from our fans at the final whistle filled us with pride. It was yet another sign of how close our supporters are to us. Now we must concentrate on Serie A.”

Montella was asked about his tactical choices for the second leg, as he had dropped Juan Cuadrado for the first match.

AMAZONIAN

“Cuadrado played around 10 metres further back than usual, but he had a great game, both attacking and defending on Kwadwo Asamoah. I compliment my players for the performance.

“Borja Valero moves wonderfully and we had several chances in the opening stages. We should’ve been more precise.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Alessio: 'Pirlo best in the world'

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus assistant manager Angelo Alessio said Andrea Pirlo “is the best in the world at free kicks” after eliminating Fiorentina.

AMAZONIAN

The 1-0 victory at the Stadio Artemio Franchi has sent the Bianconeri through to the Europa League quarter-finals, 2-1 on aggregate.

“The goal on broke the deadlock, but the team had done well from start to finish,” Alessio told Mediaset.

He was sent to speak with the media after the game, as Antonio Conte is suffering from flu symptoms.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo decided the second match in a row for Juve, as his late free kick also secured a 1-0 Serie A victory away to Genoa at the weekend.

“I think Pirlo is the best in the world at free kicks and I also believe he can beat Sinisa Mihajlovic’s record of goals from set plays in Serie A.

“The extra man also helped us in the final stages, even if we wasted several chances to finish off the game.

AMAZONIAN

“Fiorentina started very strong and put us under pressure, but we adjusted and in the second half we were the only team playing.”

Alessio defended Conte’s use of squad rotation this season, which sees them top of the Serie A table.

AMAZONIAN

“We knew that playing every three days required squad rotation and did not snub any competition. We try to give our all in every game.

“We know the value of this squad and the players are proving what they can do.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Perfect Pirlo free kick
sends Bianconeri to quarter-final

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus are through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League thanks to a 1-0 win in the second leg of their round of 16 affair against Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday.

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo’s stunning free kick was the difference in a hotly-contested match.

The hosts began on a high, with both Josip Ilicic and Mario Gomez coming close to delivering the hammer blow to Juve. Borja Valero was the provider with two exquisite assists.

The pace slowed down after the first five minutes. The Bianconeri started to settle, but Stefan Savic managed to stop Fernando Llorente, who was being targeted with every pass, from entering his box, much like he did in the first leg.

AMAZONIAN

As a result, Paul Pogba tried to get involved up front. He got on the end of a cross, but his header was stopped by Neto and the Frenchman was offside anyways.

David Pizarro replied with a thunderous half-volley that fizzled just past Gianluigi Buffon’s right post.

Fouls then began to occur left, right and centre as the atmosphere inside the Artemio Franchi heated up with every tackle.

AMAZONIAN

The second half resumed the same way the first interval did, this time Juan Cuadrado forced Buffon to make his first save of the night with a long range effort that swerved on its way to the goalkeeper’s hands.

Minutes later, Arturo Vidal then sent a header just over the bar thanks to a Mauricio Isla cross, but Juventus still needed an away goal in order to progress.

AMAZONIAN

Those odds were boosted due to a Gonzalo Rodriguez challenge on Fernando Llorente outside the area. The defender was sent off by referee Howard Webb.

Pirlo then scored the resulting free kick from round 20 yards out, powering the ball into the top right corner, leaving Neto with little hope of saving it. It’s the fifth goal from a direct free kick for the Juve playmaker this season.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Initial reaction and random observations

Mar 20, 2014

It's the 68th minute and Fernando Llorente, who is known to win a free kick or two over the course of a game, gets one just outside the penalty area after being brought down by Gonzalo Rodriguez. While referee Howard Webb was in the process of showing Rodriguez a red card for the foul, noted free kick specialist Andrea Pirlo was prepping for what everybody in black and white was thinking could be his latest and greatest attempt on goal from a dead ball situation.

AMAZONIAN

What followed was, well, Pirlo being Pirlo.

Woof.

Another game, another Pirlo free kick masterpiece being the difference between a Juventus win and a potential disappointing result. This time, though, Juventus didn't get three points. Nope. What they got on Thursday night was a 1-0 win, a 2-1 advantage on aggregate, and a ticket booked for the Europa League quarterfinals.

AMAZONIAN

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@Pirlo_official: We knew we had to score. We prepared the game well and were convinced from start to finish that we could go through. #UEL

Not bad for a guy who's a couple months away from being 35 years old, huh?

Don't feel bad if you're just left staring at the gif. You won't be the only one who is admiring the brilliance that is Andrea Pirlo taking a free kick. I'm pretty sure that contract renewal is awaiting you, Andrea, whenever you'd like to put your signature on the dotted line.

AMAZONIAN

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
#Pogba: We’re very happy. We still remember the 4-2 defeat here and it was important for us to overturn that result. #FiorentinaJuve #UEL

Getting a little bit of revenge is pretty sweet. Same goes for turning the May 14 Europa League final into a home game. Just a couple more legs to go, fellas.

AMAZONIAN

Random thoughts and observations

• Pirlo's goal doesn't happen if Llorente doesn't work his tail off and get the free kick in Zona Pirlo. It was a pretty quiet game for Llorente in terms of the overall picture, but his biggest contribution won't show up on the stat sheet and ended up being the second-biggest difference-maker in the game.

• There was Carlos Tevez, and there was a (post-game) party.

• Seriously, though, having Tevez back in the starting lineup makes so much of a difference. The whole "Tevez doesn't score in Europe!" argument has gotten a bit tiresome for a lot of people, and I can see why. There wasn't a goal for Carlitos, but the impact he had was truly tremendous. He was involved in almost every serious Juventus attack, peppered Neto with every shot he took, and just brought that extra something that his team was lacking over the weekend against Genoa.

AMAZONIAN

• He may not be on the Juventus roster this season, but Luca Marrone was watching.

Luca Marrone ✔ @marrone39
Che giocatore @Pirlo_official !!!!!!!!

• Time to give Mauricio Isla some love because for the first time in his Juventus career, he's contributing on a consistent basis. What do Juve lack a decent portion of the time? Dangerous crosses into players like Llorente. Well, Isla was putting crosses for his teammates on a platter today.

AMAZONIAN

• Is it just me or did anybody else's blood pressure go up a few ticks whenever Mario Gomez had the ball at his feet in or around the Juve penalty area? Whenever they're fit at the same time this season or next, that Gomez-Giuseppe Rossi strike partnership is going to be pretty lethal.

• Go ahead and find a replay of Pirlo's goal that involves a shot of Gigi Buffon before and after the goal happens. He wasn't even watching. It's like he knew what was going to happen, saw it, wasn't surprised, and then went about his business as usual. Maybe they know a thing or two about each other, I dunno.

• Martin Caceres with another solid, solid game filling in for the injured Andrea Barzagli. And luckily for Mr. Caceres, there was no need to sport a fancy wrap on his head during the second half.

AMAZONIAN

• Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba combined for 14 tackles Thursday night. I'd say that's pretty good.

• Europa League quarterfinal draw tomorrow. Set your alarm clocks now, fellow Americans!

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Eternally classy Pirlo secures
Europa League progression

Mar 20, 2014

Motivation is a tricky mistress. Big matches require a determined side willing to leave blood on the pitch, but excite the players too much and you risk sending them over the edge. With the Viola down to 10 men, Andrea Pirlo broke Florentine hearts with a masterful free-kick to snatch Juventus a quarter-final piece in the Europa League with a 1-0 victory.

AMAZONIAN

Fiorentina started the game with hunger in their bellies. Attacking with pace and pressing vehemently. They possessed the ball beautifully and proved effective with both their passing and fluid interchange. The Bianconeri struggled to settle in. Every pass they attempted was well intercepted while their best players, including Pirlo and Paul Pogba were man-marked impeccably well.

For a side that has routinely been criticised for their weak defence, Fiorentina ensured that in this match they would play with more aggression, surrounding their opponent to win back the ball and operating a quick manoeuvre before Juventus even had a moment to settle.

However, the most impressive aspect of the Viola was the manner in which they disturbed Juve's game. Juventus manager Antonio Conte's side likes to adopt a high line and pass the ball around at the back before either going forward via short passes through midfield or a Leonardo Bonucci long ball to the top. However, with the likes of Josip Ilicic and Mario Gomez pressing, this pushed Juve deeper, stretching them out while their forced passes backwards allowed the Viola to then take a step up and push forward.

AMAZONIAN

Essentially, the home side didn't need to score but they had to make absolutely certain they didn't concede a goal either. Thus they concentrated on frustrating their opponent, closing down their usual avenues to goal and pushing them back to create distances between the players. If the Bianconeri did manage to move forward, then there were at least five players pressing, moving and marking to ensure possession was won back. When it was, they pushed forward and happily took shots from distance, even if they didn't manage to get anything on target in the first half.

Juventus disappointed. Mauricio Isla, despite some good crosses, struggled to penetrate; Arturo Vidal, under extreme pressure, succumbed to imprecise play while Fernando Llorente struggled to offer much up top. In the Spaniard's defence, he often found himself alone and surrounded by four or five purple shirts, but more was still expected.

Overwhelmed and unable to establish a rhythm, even when Juventus did manage to regain control of the ball, they surrendered it cheaply. This can be excused if squad players were deployed, but Juve's first team ought to be doing better. One has to wonder why Europe strips them of the usual beauty but each match allows both Conte and his men to develop further.

AMAZONIAN

Yet despite their less than dazzling performance, the Old Lady still has the players to make the difference. They may have rarely had the opportunity to create attacking passages of play in the first half, but they excelled when allowed to counter-attack while Pirlo worked tirelessly to find some space and escape his markers. Going into the break, the Bianconeri had produced more shots on target than their opponents.

The second half saw the Bianconeri play with greater intensity, seemingly more eager to make an impact. Unfortunately for Fiorentina, their desperate desire to defeat their opponent led to mistakes and Gonzalo Rodriguez fouled Llorente to earn a red card and concede a free-kick to Juve in a dangerous area.

A timeless player boasting impeccable technique, Pirlo struck the ball into the far top-corner of the goal to earn his side a victory. Not only did he secure Juve's win and possibly the Serie A title on Sunday against Genoa, he's now ensured his side progress to the next stage of the Europa League.

AMAZONIAN

Montella's squad is still a side that despite their beauty, need to mature. Passion is difficult to contain and with Rodriguez's silly foul and goalkeeper Norberto Neto's screaming rant, the Tuscans struggled to cope with the pressure and maintain their composure. The goalkeeper was trodden on the head by Juve striker Carlos Tevez, but rather than earn himself a yellow card by angrily yelling at the referee, he ought to have intelligently made his case.

Playing with only ten men and one goal down, heads soon dropped. Montella opted to take Ilicic off to bring on a defender -- a decision one struggles to understand considering how much his side needed a goal to stay in the race. Why not go all out in search of the equaliser?

With little attacking impetus, Juventus controlled proceedings and secured the win to qualify for the next stage. While it's never nice to see a good side like Fiorentina knocked out of a European competition, over the two matches Juventus deserved the win and are undoubtedly Italy's best hope of winning the trophy.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Andrea Pirlo Allows Juventus to Dream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWpOmTnWhu8

Mar 20, 2014

For the third time this month, Fiorentina and Juventus locked horns, meeting at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday evening to complete their Europa League encounter. A highly partisan crowd packed the stadium, buoyed by the fact the Bianconeri Ultra had decided to boycott the fixture.

AMAZONIAN

With a place in the quarter-finals at stake, both teams were as close to full strength as possible.

Antonio Conte’s team entered Viola territory knowing they had to score at least once. They were already trailing on aggregate to Mario Gomez’ crucial away goal in last week’s first leg, and they would be desperate to continue their excellent goal scoring form in 2013-14.

Their home-field advantage clearly handed Fiorentina the early impetus, with Vincenzo Montella’s side starting brightly as Mario Gomez shot narrowly wide from a wonderfully weighted through ball.

AMAZONIAN

After an opening 10 minutes, during which Fiorentina fully dominated, Juventus, however, slowly gained a foothold in the match.

With Giuseppe Rossi looking on from the stands, the game became open with a raft of chances at either end in a hectic first half. Both sides seemed extremely nervous before the decisive moment, and it would be no surprise which player stepped up to separate the two teams.

Fernando Llorente got the better of defender Gonzalo Rodriguez—the Fiorentina man resorting to fouling on the edge of the box. It was his second bookable offence, leaving the Viola undermanned and crucially presenting Andrea Pirlo with the kind of set-piece opportunity the midfielder craves.

AMAZONIAN

As the 34-year-old stood behind the wall, everyone in the stadium knew exactly what was about to happen. His career has proved that his precision makes opposing goalkeepers almost powerless to prevent the inevitable attempt at goal.

He had already demonstrated his match-winning ability in Sunday’s victory over Genoa, and he would do so again here.

Unlike that floating, curled finish, however, he would drive a powerful shot into the far top corner, which Neto had no chance of stopping. Such was the power and precision of Pirlo’s effort that the Brazilian stopper came nowhere near the ball, despite starting on the correct side of the goal.

AMAZONIAN

It was the fifth time the Azzurri legend had found the net with a free kick this season, and it was his 11th since joining the Bianconeri in the summer of 2011.

“I think Pirlo is the best in the world at free kicks,” said Angelo Alessio to Mediaset at full time (h/t Football Italia). It is hard to argue with the Juventus assistant coach’s assessment.

The former Milan maestro is now just three goals short of Sinisa Mihajlovic’s all-time Serie A record of 27, a tally he will surely surpass in the not-too-distant future.

AMAZONIAN

What he also proved tonight was that he still has much to offer the Bianconeri as his contract expires in the summer.

Juventus appear determined not to repeat the mistake of Pirlo’s former club, recognising just what he has brought to Turin over the past three seasons. Beppe Marotta firmly believes a new deal is close to being agreed to, the director general telling Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) this week that he is “confident that he [Pirlo] will continue with this relationship.”

With his second match-winning goal in four days, the midfielder delivered yet another fillip for La Madama on Thursday evening, stating that he will remain with the club beyond his current contract.

AMAZONIAN

"I don’t know if the contract will be this month, but I do know that I’m staying at Juventus,” he said at full time (via Football Italia)—words that will bring almost as big a smile to Bianconeri supporters as his goal did to vanquish la Viola.

Despite the fact he turns 35 before the World Cup, he remains a vital member of this all-conquering side, contributing as much as anyone to their current dominance of Serie A.

AMAZONIAN

Perhaps the last word should go to Gigi Buffon, the Juventus captain summing up Andrea Pirlo perfectly, as he told a post-match press conference (via Goal.com):

“He’s one of those players who allows you to dream at any given moment when he has the ball at his feet.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus:
6 Things We Learned

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus edged a fiercely contested last 16 Europa League tie with Serie A rivals Fiorentina on Thursday with a 1-0 win in the second-leg to edge out the Viola 2-1 on aggregate.

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo's free-kick did the damage on the night, shortly after referee Howard Webb had sent of Gonzalo Rodriguez for a foul on Fernando Llorente.

After that, Vincenzo Montella's side had little hope of forcing a way back into the match, and the Bianconeri took a step closer to the final, which will be in their own stadium.

Here are six things we learned.

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo Is Still the Best Free-Kick Taker in the Game

Andrea Pirlo's stunning winner proved once more that he is the best free-kick taker in the business.

"The Maestro" took it in a different fashion to his signature style, instead of floating the ball into the goalkeeper's top-right corner, as was the case in the Genoa game last weekend, Pirlo opted to cut across the ball quickly, whipping it fiercely over the wall and into the top-left corner.

An unstoppable strike that gave Neto, a goalkeeper in the finest form of his life, absolutely no chance.

AMAZONIAN

It is a skill he will be remembered for, and the fact that he has been able to impact games for such longevity is so impressive.

The Bianconeri can only thank their lucky stars that Milan were foolish enough to not renew the Azzurri legend's contract, and they have been able to gain three outstanding years from one of the modern greats.

AMAZONIAN

Juve Are Now Strong Favourites to Win It

Juventus must surely be the strong favourites to win the Europa League.

They were already the best team on paper, but a tie with Fiorentina was always going to go beyond that.

The Viola were always going to play above themselves, and the passion of their historic rivals was always going to close the gap.

AMAZONIAN

The fact that Napoli have also exited, a side that could also have rivalled Juve, means that Juve are surely in the clear.

The Partenopei were very wasteful against a Porto side that were ruthless over the two legs, and I would expect that Juve would be far more clinical if afforded similarly plentiful opportunities.

AMAZONIAN

Benfica appear to be the only side capable of beating the Old Lady, and that would only be over two legs, one would imagine.

Even though anybody can win a one-off game, should Juve find themselves in the final, in front of their own fans, it would be staggering to not see them pick up the trophy.

AMAZONIAN

Isla Now a Good Option over Lichtsteiner

Mauricio Isla has gradually manoeuvred himself into a position where Antonio Conte may start to consider picking him over Stephan Lichtsteiner on the right.

The Chilean has been afforded the opportunity to play in the Europa League consistently and this has done his confidence a world of good.

The former Udinese wide man is now fully fit and showcasing what he is capable of.

AMAZONIAN

Isla's consistent delivery is a striker's dream (or a midfielder's, as was the case often enough on Thursday).

Isla's ability to come inside and link with the central midfielders, who, in turn, can dovetail around him, giving great fluidity to the way Juve attack down the right flank.

At the very least, Isla will be an excellent back-up and push his Swiss counterpart to raise his level in order to maintain his starting place in the league.

AMAZONIAN

Pizarro's Absence Crucial to Viola's Exit

David Pizarro walked off injured in the opening moments of the second half, and with that it seemed like Fiorentina's chances vanished.

The Chilean is instrumental to the way that Montella's side play, starring as the regista, and when Massimo Ambrosini came on in his place, Fiorentina were restricted in the manner in which they wanted to approach the game.

Borja Valero dropped into the space in front of the back four, and with that, the Spaniard's influence in transition, usually picking the ball up from Pizarro, vanished.

AMAZONIAN

Juve began to press higher, knowing that Fiorentina had to dribble the ball more to dissect their defence, rather than the pinpoint accurate passes from Pizarro.

There are players of a similar ilk, who could be shoehorned into that role, but with Mati Fernandez's injury, and Alberto Aquilani's inconsistent form, Montella was doomed once the 34-year-old exited.

AMAZONIAN

Mario Gomez's Fitness Still Not Quite Right

Mario Gomez, despite scoring in back-to-back games is evidently still a little way off his best due to some rustiness after his long-term injury.

The German gives the Viola are wonderful option that Alessandro Matri cannot provide.

The former Bayern star will give the Viola the ability to feed the ball into his feet, and the likes of Juan Cuadrado will gamble on the ball sticking at his feet and the ability of the centre-forward to feed the ball in behind the opposition's back line.

AMAZONIAN

It is unfortunate that Gomez did not have enough time to shake off the rust and find himself in the best condition possible ahead of this massive tie.

Montella saw him struggle for an hour or so and eventually withdrew him from the action—another blow to the Viola.

AMAZONIAN

The Europa League Is Now Juve's Top Priority

The Europa League should now be Juve's primary target as the season winds down.

The Bianconeri have sewn up the league title and will be now be focusing on the remaining five matches that will see them lift Europe's secondary competition.

Conte will have to carefully decide how to approach these games and the league matches that bookend the European ties.

AMAZONIAN

Conte will need to decide what he wants to do, whether that be rotating or keeping the team's consistency and form by maintaining the strongest side as the season closes out.

It has been a season of highs and lows for Juve, even if most have been highs.

AMAZONIAN

Securing 100 points or 98 points, if the goal is just to surpass the previous best points total in Serie A history, will be a tempting target to secure their dominance in the history books.

Adding the Europa League to a league triumph, no matter the final points tally, would surely provide more satisfaction to the fans.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Player Ratings

A trademark Andrea Pirlo free kick sent the Italian champions through
against the Viola, who had Gonzalo Rodriguez sent off in the second half.

Mar 20, 2014

FIORENTINA

Neto - Made a number of great saves to deny the likes of Llorente and Tevez, keeping the scoreline respectable for the home side.

Nenad Tomovic - Was helped by the tenacious and constant work of Cuadrado down the right, but couldn't get close to Tevez throughout.

Gonzalo Rodríguez - Did excellently to mark Llorente out of the game for large periods, but earned himself a red card for a poor challenge on the Spanish striker which led to Pirlo's winner.

Stefan Savic - A solid performance from the Montenegro international, who made a number of vital interceptions and blocks to protect Neto.

Juan Cuadrado - Tenacious and all-action from the Colombian, who put in a defensive shift as well as pressing down the right flank with some lovely tricks on show.

Alberto Aquilani - Tested Buffon once in the latter stages and kept the ball well, but didn't create many chances for his side.

David Pizarro - Fired a half-volley narrowly wide of the post in the first half, and regulated possession well.

Borja Valero - A complete performance from a man who looks comfortable anywhere on the field, playing intelligent passes and endeavouring to link midfield to attack. Saw several shots blocked well.

Juan Vargas - A poor outing from the left-back, who didn't whip in many dangerous crosses or keep any tabs on Isla or Lichtsteiner.

Mario Gomez - Missed some good chances early on, flashing two in quick succession wide of the post, and wasn't permitted a great deal of freedom as the match progressed.

Josip Iličič - Spurned a fantastic chance in the first half, ballooning the ball over the bar from narrowly outside the area. Faded in the second period.

AMAZONIAN

Substitutions

Facundo Roncaglia - Thrown on to shore up the defence but struggled to deal with the physicality of Llorente.

Massimo Ambrosini - His experience and grit didn't permit Juve to overwhelm Fiorentina in the midfield battle.

Alessandro Matri - The former Milan striker was very isolated, with his lack of pace not helping the Viola as they tried to break quickly.

AMAZONIAN

JUVENTUS

Gianluigi Buffon - Wasn't tested on too many occasions, but did what he had to do to keep Fiorentina at bay. A deserved clean sheet for the record-breaking shot-stopper.

Martín Cáceres - Wasn't the weak link in Juve's defence as is often feared, with the Uruguayan acquitting himself well and making a couple of good back-post interventions.

Leonardo Bonucci - A top performance from the Italy international once again, as he won plenty of aerial battles and threw his body on the line. Committed showing as always.

Giorgio Chiellini - The powerful central defender struggled to deal with Cuadrado's diagonal runs, and wasn't able to gallivant forward like in the first leg.

Mauricio Isla - The Chile international wasn't too convincing defensively, but pushed down the right-hand side brilliantly to deliver quality crosses.

Arturo Vidal - Missed a trio of great chances, turning two close-range headers wide of the target from when usually he'd be expected to convert.

ANDREA PIRLO - Always looked to stretch the Viola with searching balls and stepped up coolly to slot a late free kick into the top right-hand corner to secure Juve's progression.

Paul Pogba - A classy outing from the young Frenchman who displayed some lovely pieces of skill and control. Went close with an audacious overhead kick.

Kwadwo Asamoah - A quiet game from the Ghanaian, whose efforts were focused on keeping Cuadrado pegged back, which often seemed in vain.

Carlos Tévez - Determination and desire personified as the Argentine looked to end his goal drought. Made several excellent driving runs from deep and tested Neto on various occasions.

Fernando Llorente - Thrived once Rodriguez was red-carded, going on to dominate as an aerial presence. Unfortunate to see a late header palmed away smartly by Neto.

AMAZONIAN

Substitutions

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Replaced Isla and made an immediate impact, curling a cross onto Llorente's head which Neto saved well.

Pablo Daniel Osvaldo - Provided the extra legs required for Juve to close out the game, almost gifting a good assist for Tevez in the late stages with a smart square ball.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Pirlo: Juventus 'fully deserved'
to beat Fiorentina

The Italian veteran feels Antonio Conte's charges earned their place
in the next round of the Europa League following their narrow win over la Viola.

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo insists his side fully deserved to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Europa League after their 1-0 victory over Fiorentina.

AMAZONIAN

A superb second-leg free kick from Pirlo overturned la Viola's away-goal advantage following a 1-1 result in Turin last week, and the 34-year-old feels the Bianconeri warranted their place in the next round.

"It was important to move forward [in the Europa League]," the veteran midfielder told Mediaset immediately after the match. "We wanted to qualify and I think it was a well deserved win from what we saw here tonight.

AMAZONIAN

"A game that lasts 180 minutes [is a long time], but we knew we could do it. We want to continue progressing in Europe as well as Serie A."

Juventus, who currently lead the Italian top flight with a comfortable 14-point advantage over second-placed Roma, will find out who they face in the quarter-finals after the draw on Friday.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Pogba: Pirlo has a golden foot

The Frenchman was joined by Leonardo Bonucci in hailing the veteran midfielder,
whose free kick saw the Bianconeri progress past Fiorentina in the Europa League.

Mar 20, 2014

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba hailed the "golden foot" of Andrea Pirlo as the Bianconeri marched past Fiorentina into the Europa League quarter-finals.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo fired home a free kick from the edge of the area to give Juve a 1-0 win at the Artemio Franchi on Thursday, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory and progression to the last eight.

Following the Bianconeri's win, French midfielder Paul Pogba was quick to hail the impact the veteran has on the side.

"Pirlo's got a golden foot! I need to train for many years if I'm going to be able to shoot like him," the 21-year-old told Mediaset.

AMAZONIAN

"We're very happy. We still remember the 4-2 defeat here [in Serie A] and it was important for us to overturn that result.

"We said before the match that if we stuck to our usual game plan, the goal would eventually come."

Echoing his team-mate's sentiments, defender Leonardo Bonucci had his own words of praise for the decorated Italy international.

AMAZONIAN

"Pirlo is a champion – he can turn any match around," he said. "We knew it was going to be a tough game. They [Fiorentina] too wanted to keep going in this competition.

"We played with the awareness that we are a great team and the humility allowed us to deal with the pressure.

AMAZONIAN

"Those who step on to the field put themselves at the disposal of the side and sacrifice [themselves] for their team-mates."

Victory keeps alive Antonio Conte's side's hopes of competing in the final, which will be held at their home stadium in Turin on May 14.

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Pirlo: 'I looked at the wall'

Mar 20, 2014

Andrea Pirlo explained his free kick technique against Fiorentina and pledged to sign a new Juventus deal.

AMAZONIAN

The veteran midfielder smashed a free kick into the far top corner for the 1-0 victory, which sent the Bianconeri into the Europa League quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate.

“I am happy to have scored two important goals in under a week, as it means we can get closer to the objectives we set ourselves,” said Pirlo, referring also to his free kick against Genoa in Serie A.

“How do I decide which way to take free kicks? I make my decision at the last moment. This time I looked at the wall and decided to hit it with more power.

AMAZONIAN

“We knew it was a long game and suffered in the opening stages, but then we had our chances and were always convinced we’d get through.

“Fiorentina were a difficult obstacle, but after going out of the Champions League it was important to do well in this tournament.”

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo’s contract expires in June, but he reassured fans that he is not going anywhere.

“It’s only natural some people say I’m getting old, but I still have fun with my football. I don’t know if the contract will be this month, but I do know that I’m staying at Juventus.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Borja Valero: 'Fiorentina are proud'

Mar 20, 2014

Borja Valero maintains Fiorentina “can be proud” of what they achieved after a Europa League exit to Juventus.

AMAZONIAN

The Viola had been unbeaten in the tournament until tonight’s 1-0 home defeat, sealed by an Andrea Pirlo free kick after Gonzalo Rodriguez had been sent off.

“It’s a shame we weren’t able to score with one of those early chances,” the Spaniard told Sky Sport Italia.

AMAZONIAN

“We can be proud of what we did in this journey. There won’t be any psychological setbacks because of the result, as we will think of this as a tough defeat against a great side like Juve.

“There is a lot still to play for, including the Coppa Italia Final and getting a good finish in Serie A.”

[Socrates 8328]

FIORENTINA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS
(Agg. 1-2)

Andrea Pirlo (71′)

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Asamoah: 'Conte turned tide'

Mar 21, 2014

Kwadwo Asamoah revealed Antonio Conte’s instructions turned the tide for a Juventus victory over Fiorentina.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri swept through to the Europa League quarter-finals after a 1-0 win in Florence, having drawn the first leg 1-1.

“Juan Cuadrado was defending a lot more than usual,” Asamoah told the official Juventus website.

AMAZONIAN

“In the first half we talked with Conte and decided to push the team forward. It went better, as both Mauricio Isla and I were too deep. We usually play in a different way, looking for the strikers.

“In the second half it was a whole other game. When we play like that out wide, something happens and the forwards can receive better service.”

[Socrates 8328]

EL: Juventus face Lyon

Mar 21, 2014

Juventus will face Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals as they aim to play the Final on home turf.

AMAZONIAN

The draw for the next phase of the competition was made today in Nyon by ex-Juve hero Ciro Ferrara and the Bianconeri have to be considered one of the favourites for the trophy.

Antonio Conte’s men have an extra advantage, as the Final will be played at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on May 14.

Today’s draw pitted Juve against French side Olympique Lyonnais.

AMAZONIAN

AZ Alkmaar host Benfica, while Swiss side Basel take on Valencia.

Porto and Sevilla go head-to-head in a Portuguese-Spanish clash.

The first leg is on April 3 and the decider a week later.

AMAZONIAN

Europa League - Quarter-Finals

1st leg - April 3

AZ Alkmaar-Benfica

Basel-Valencia

Lyon-Juventus

Porto-Sevilla


2nd leg - April 10

Benfica-AZ Alkmaar

Juventus-Lyon

Sevilla-Porto

Valencia-Basel

[Socrates 8328]

Nedved: 'Ignore the Final'

Mar 21, 2014

Pavel Nedved warned Juventus not to look beyond Lyon in the Europa League. “The road to the Final is long.”

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri were paired with Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals and are among the favourites, especially as the Final will be at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.

“The road to the Final is still long,” noted Nedved, who is now a director at the club.

“I am proud to be for the second year running the only Italian representative at the quarter-final draw, even if it was the Champions League last season.

AMAZONIAN

“The draw is difficult, even if on paper everyone keeps talking about Juve as if they are already in the Final. The Europa League must be faced with a serious attitude.

“I don’t think it is an advantage to play the Final on home turf, anyway. Now we must focus only on the quarter-final.”

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo’s free kick secured their place in the quarters, eliminating Fiorentina 2-1 on aggregate.

“Andrea is a phenomenon and we are happy to have him. Pirlo already met with the club for renewal talks and I don’t think there will be problems.”