Goals: N/A
Recap: Ninety minutes of uninspired football saw Fiorentina and Juventus finish with a scoreless draw on Friday.
A listless first half saw both sides enter the locker rooms without a single shot on goal. Neither club had much to offer following the break. A capacity crowd at the Stadio Artemio Franchi were subjected to more cautions (five) than accurate attempts (four).
With the draw, Juventus extend their lead in Serie A to four points.
Fernando Llorente heads on target but it's cleared by a defender. #beINSerieA #FiorentinaJuve https://t.co/kY6OGGnm36
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSUSA) December 5, 2014
Key Moment: Juventus are often looked at as the club that benefits from favorable calls. That appeared to be the case in the first half. An attempt from the hosts was blocked by center-back Giorgio Chiellini, but it was blocked by an extended arm. No penalty was given. Ultimately, no goal was scored.
Man of the Match: Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci put forth a masterclass performance for the club on Friday. The 27-year-old won 100 percent of his duels and finished with nine clearances.
Lesson Learned: Juventus understand the grind of a Serie A campaign. The three-time Scudetto winners, boasting just a three-point lead over AS Roma, handled Friday's encounter with precise conservatism. Manager Massimiliano Allegri showed no ambition to tackle the elements in Florence, nor a stiff rival. Three points inside the Stadio Artemio Franchi would've been ideal, but one point is enough for a champion looking to intelligently defend its crown.
Cuadrado takes a crack at it but it deflects of Juve defender. Corner. #beINSerieA #FiorentinaJuve https://t.co/YBaHb2sMD4
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSUSA) December 5, 2014
Up Next: Juventus host Atletico Madrid in a pivotal UEFA Champions League match on Dec. 9, while Fiorentina visits Cesena in league play on Dec. 14.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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