Juan Cuadrado scored a late winner for Juventus against Fiorentina and the Old Lady will be hoping history will repeat itself six years after his decisive goal in a derby della Mole clash, writes Lorenzo Bettoni at the Allianz Stadium.
The last time Juventus lost three games in a row in Serie A was more than ten years ago. March 2011, with Luigi Delneri in charge. The Bianconeri were in the middle of nowhere, with a weak project and even weaker players. They finished that season in seventh.
Today, Massimiliano Allegri’s side hosted Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium on the back of two defeats in a row against Sassuolo and Hellas Verona. It was a must-win game for the Old Lady, who was sitting ninth before the kick-off.
Juventus suffered Fiorentina’s pressing in the first half and although the Tuscans didn’t have many shots on targets, they were the best side in the first half. The Bianconeri were short of ideas and missed many passes, both in the middle of the park and with their strikers. A red card shown to Nikola Milenkovic changed the game. The Serbian centre back collected two yellow cards in less than ten minutes in the second half. Both calls were legitimate and the 24-year-old left the pitch without even protesting.
Allegri did the rest with his substitution. He introduced Juan Cuadrado in the 77th minute and the Colombian was as decisive as Milenkovic.
The former Chelsea and Fiorentina man was sent running down the right flank and beat Pietro Terraciano from a tight angle at the near post. The Stadium exploded in joy, Cuadrado ran in front of Juventus fans to celebrate with one of his iconic dances and many had a sensation of deja vu.
The Colombian star had scored another decisive winner in the stoppages six years ago in a derby della Mole clash against Torino. Juventus had lost against Sassuolo a few days earlier and were 11 points behind table leaders Roma.
From that goal and from that win, Juventus began an incredible run of 14 victories in a row and won 24 of the following 25 matches in Serie A. Eventually, they lifted the second title of the Allegri era, the fifth one in a row for the Serie A giants.
Serie A | Juventus 1-0 Fiorentina: Cuadrado rescues Bianconeri
Can Juventus repeat the same this season? It’s hard to tell. They are now 13 points off leaders Napoli and Milan, who have a game in hand. Nobody has ever won the title in Serie A by recovering so many points. Also, there are now many more valuable opponents than six years ago. Milan and Napoli have won ten games out of 11, Inter are the defending champions, Roma and Lazio may not be title contenders, but are always tough teams to face.
The Bianconeri need consistency, which is what has helped them dominate the last decade in Italy. No matter if they faced big or smaller sides, Juventus always won.
This season, they’ve already lost four games out of 12, against Napoli, Empoli, Sassuolo and Hellas Verona. Cuadrado’s goal could turn Juventus’ campaign around, which doesn’t mean they will win the title. The fate is no longer in their hands, but if Cuadrado’s late winner helps them regain their mentality and solidity, Allegri would face the second part of the campaign with far fewer issues.
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