Report: Juventus 3 - Fiorentina 3
Saturday 6th January 2001
Fiorentina led 2-0 after just 18 minutes, but ended up having to come from
behind to snatch a draw in a dramatic game at the Delle Alpi Stadium.
Fiorentina got off to the best possible start, Enrico Chiesa latching onto a
botched clearance by Michele Paramatti to sweep the ball beyond the
advancing Edwin van der Sar into the net.
Juve looked stunned, and, with Darko Kovacevic surprisingly replacing David
Trezeguet in attack, were sluggish and static compared to Fiorentina.
Kovacevic picked up on a long cross on the left side of the box, but, having
taken the ball down, he drove his shot straight at Francesco Toldo.
So overwhelmed were Juve that it came as no surprise when Fiorentina doubled
their lead on 18 minutes. Paolo Vanoli stole the ball down the left, and
pulled the ball back for Nuno Gomes to slot the ball home.
That finally woke Juve up, and, with Gianluca Pessotto and Paramatti looking
dangerous down the flanks, Fiorentina were put under some pressure.
Toldo was forced into a great save on 26 minutes to keep out Kovacevic's
glancing header, but he could do nothing about the equaliser seven minutes
later. Paramatti's cross was half blocked by Moreno Torricelli, but it fell
for Antonio Conte, who rammed the ball home.
The equaliser came just three minutes into the second half. Manuel Rui Costa
twisted and turned on the edge of the box to set up Nuno Gomes, but his
effort was cleared and Juve countered.
Conte laid a majestic ball down the middle, and as Filippo Inzaghi held off
Alessandro Pierrini, he was brought down by Toldo. Inzaghi himself stepped
up to convert from the spot.
Juve suddenly looked a much more confident side, and they poured forward in
search of an equaliser. Zinedine Zidane suddenly came to the fore, but it
was Inzaghi again who got the third, smashing home a spectacular effort from
the edge of the box on 56 minutes.
It seemed at that stage only a matter of how many the home side would win
by, but on 63 minutes the irrepressible Chiesa brought i Viola back on level
terms with a curling free-kick from 25 yards.
Juventus: Van der Sar, Ferrara, Paramatti, Pessotto, Iuliano, Conte
(Birindelli 66), Tacchinardi, Zambrotta, Inzaghi, Zidane (O,Neill 84),
Kovacevic (Trezeguet 64)
Fiorentina: Toldo, Repka, Pierini, Vanoli, Torricelli, Di Livio, Amoroso,
Bressan (Tarozzi 84), Chiesa (Mijatovic 81), Rui Costa, Nuno Gomes (Cois 65)
Booked: Inzaghi, Amoroso (Juve); Toldo, Torricelli, Repka, Chiesa
(Fiorentina)
Referee: Cesari (Genoa)
