ITALIAN SERIE A MATCH PREVIEWS: Juventus Meets Old Friends at Fiorentina
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME (December 17, 1999 11:23 a.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Title-chasing Juventus confront two former players and their ex-manager to add spice to the Serie A clash at Fiorentina on Sunday (1930 GMT).
Second-placed Juventus face ex-manager Giovanni Trapattoni,
who coached them from 1976-1986 and from 1992-94, as well as Moreno Torricelli and Angelo Di Livio, who were in the Juventus side who won the league title three times between 1995 and 1998.
The rivalry has made the match almost a local derby since
Juventus edged Fiorentina for the league title in 1982.
The Florentine side's own title hopes may have disappeared
with last Sunday's defeat at Lazio but they would like nothing
better than to dent Juve's championship challenge.
Juventus are level on 28 points with leaders Lazio and are
undefeated in their last nine league matches.
Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta, who scored Fiorentina's
winner in this fixture exactly a year ago, has shaken off a
niggling ankle injury and will start in a full-strength home
line-up.
For Juventus, Michelangelo Rampulla replaces Dutch
goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar, sent off in the 1-0 victory over
Inter Milan last Sunday, but Alessandro Del Piero, scorer of
four goals against Fiorentina, starts alongside in-form Filippo
Inzaghi and France's Zinedine Zidane.
Other matches
Saturday
VERONA vs. VENEZIA (1400 GMT)
Both sides will forget their relegation fears for 90 minutes
to fight for local pride in the Veneto derby. Verona, keen to
avenge their 1-0 defeat in their last match with Venezia in
Serie B 21 months ago, will look to the refound scoring form of
Brazilian striker Adailton -- three goals in his last two matches -- while the Venetians give a rare start to Hiroshi Nanami.
BARI vs. INTER MILAN (1930 GMT)
Bari has beaten Inter in five of their last six matches, but South African striker Phil Masinga, author of four career goals against the Milan side will be absent as he starts a seven-month convalescene following a knee ligament injury. Inter will be looking to repeat the form they showed during Wednesday's 3-1 Italian Cup victory at Bologna but away from the San Siro, they have scored just two goals in six league matches.
Sunday (1400 GMT)
CAGLIARI vs. LECCE
Desite eliminating holders Parma from the Italian Cup on
Wednesday, bottom-of-the-table Cagliari are still waiting for
their first league win of the season. The Sardinians have three
players suspended -- Belgian Luis Oliveira, Uruguay's Fabian
O'Neill and Fabio Macellari -- and Lecce start as clear
favorites to claim their first win at the Sant'Elia since 1987.
LAZIO vs. PIACENZA
Lazio, which leads Serie A on goal difference from Juventus,
expects to enter the new Millennium on top with a straightforward home win over fourth from bottom Piacenza. The visitors are deep crisis after the resignation of their president Stefano Garilli. The Rome club are likely to field the same side who defeated Fiorentina last Sunday, which means no place for striker Simone Inzaghi against his old side, for whom he scored 15 goals last season.
AC MILAN vs. REGGINA
Reggina, without a win in their last nine league matches and
making their first ever appearance at the San Siro in Serie A,
are unlikely to spoil Milan's centenary celebrations. But the
Serie A champions will be without Demetri Albertini (injured)
and Paolo Maldini (suspended). Ukrainian Andriy Schevchenko continues his frontline partnership with Germany's Oliver Bierhoff, meaning that former World Player of the Year George Weah remains on the bench.
PARMA vs. AS ROMA
Parma, a point behind third-placed Roma, will be looking to
overhaul their title rivals, though the visitors have not lost
at the Tardini since a 1-0 defeat in 1994. Italy 'keeper Gianluigi Buffon returns between the posts for Parma after missing the midweek Italian Cup exit at the hands of Cagliari while Roma welcome back playmaker Francesco Totto, rested for their own extra-time Cup win at Piacenza.
PERUGIA vs. BOLOGNA
Veteran Perugia manager Carlo Mazzone, whose side have lost
their last two home fixtures, faces the team he coached to last
year's UEFA Cup semifinals. Bologna have never won at the Renato Curi stadium and have captain Michele Paramatti suspended and Giancarlo Marocchi and Nicola Ventola injured.
TORINO vs. UDINESE
Injury-hit Torino, without seven first-team players including Gianluigi Lentini, have slumped to 13th place in the table after losing three consecutive matches. But Udinese have not won in Turin for 15 years and have striker Roberto Muzzi and ex-Lazio and Parma midfielder Stefano Fiore suspended.
