Fiorentina and Juventus face off in one of Italian football’s biggest grudge matches, but it’s a return to the 3-5-2 for both teams.
It kicks off at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
Last season this was an absolute thriller with the hosts fighting back from 2-0 down for a famous 4-2 victory.
Fiorentina and Juventus face off in one of Italian football’s biggest grudge matches, but it’s a return to the 3-5-2 for both teams.
It kicks off at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
Last season this was an absolute thriller with the hosts fighting back from 2-0 down for a famous 4-2 victory.
The Bianconeri are seemingly unstoppable since moving to a four-man defence, winning all six of their competitive games in November, although they had a huge scare in the Turin Derby last week.
The boot Andrea Pirlo used to score the winner against Torino in the last seconds of the match has been placed into the Juventus Museum, so that should tell you what it meant to Max Allegri’s side.
Stephan Lichtsteiner was sent off in that fiery game and is therefore suspended, joining the injured Andrea Barzagli, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo and Luca Marrone on the sidelines.
With a lack of alternatives and Fiorentina tending to favour three at the back, Allegri returns to a 3-5-2 formation at the Stadio Franchi.
Roberto Pereyra and Patrice Evra turn wing-backs with Kingsley Coman the surprise starter alongside Fernando Llorente.
This provides a clue that Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata will start in the huge Champions League game with Atletico Madrid coming up on Tuesday.
Ex-PSG prodigy Coman is seeking his debut Serie A goal and Gigi Buffon returns after missing the Turin Derby with a shoulder injury.
Fiorentina striker Mario Gomez finally broke his eight-month goal drought last week in a 4-0 demolition job on Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari.
That means the Viola have put together three consecutive victories between Serie A and the Europa League for the first time this season.
Vincenzo Montella is still without Manuel Pasqual, Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Bernardeschi, but prides himself on the team’s adaptability, as even the same players can reshuffle to change tactic on the field.
Unlike Juventus, Fiorentina have already qualified top of their Europa League group and can pour all their attention into this grudge match.
It looks to be a three-man defence with Mati Fernandez picked in midfield after his brace against Cagliari.
Joaquin and Marcos Alonso become wing-backs with Juan Guillermo Cuadrado advanced to a support striker role behind Gomez.
The likes of Marko Marin, Khouma Babacar and Juan Manuel Vargas are ready to come on and cause trouble in the second half.
Fiorentina: Neto; Gonzalo Rodriguez, Savic, Basanta; Joaquin, Mati Fernandez, Pizarro, Borja Valero, Alonso; Gomez, Cuadrado
Fiorentina bench: Tatarusanu, Hegazi, Richards, Tomovic, Badelj, Aquilani, Lazzari, Kurtic, Vargas, Marin, Ilicic, Babacar
Juventus: Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Pereyra, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Evra; Llorente, Coman
Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Padoin, Mattiello, Marchisio, Pepe, Tevez, Giovinco, Morata