Today's encounter inside the Stadio Artemio Franchi is an intriguing Serie A clash between sixth-placed Juventus, who are on a four-match unbeaten run, and strugglers Fiorentina. Kick-off in Tuscany is scheduled for 18:00 CET.
Both teams have recently axed their head coach, with fresh ideas on the horizon to elevate them up the table and into contention to secure a high enough finish to secure European action next season.
Igor Tudor's tenure ended for the Bianconeri with former Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti appointed until the end of the campaign. He edged past Cremonese on his debut as Juventus boss, but oversaw back-to-back bore draws before the two-week international break.
On paper a visit to Fiorentina, who have yet to win a league match this term, appears an easy three points for Juve. However, La Viola recently axed ex-Juventus target Stefano Pioli and replaced him with Paolo Vanoli.
There could be the new boss bounce at Fiorentina, with Vanoli no doubt boasting the squad's confidence with his tactical approach. His main weapon to use against Juventus will be former Bianconeri striker Moise Kean, who missed Italy's past two World Cup qualifiers because of a knock.
The 25-year-old, who has only found the net twice in 10 league matches this season, will want to prove to Juve that they were wrong to reject him by selling him in 2024 when Thiago Motta was manager.
Juventus are struggling in attack, with only prolific marksman Dusan Vlahovic showing any prowess in front of goal. Summer signings Jonathan David and Lois Openda have been total flops, with only one goal between the pair.
Vanoli, who was sacked by Torino in June, has only tackled Juventus twice in his coaching career but has yet to register a win. His teams managed to score once but concede three goals, with one draw and one defeat.
Fiorentina boss seeks first win over Juve
Vanoli explained in his pre-match press conference: "We know perfectly well how important this match is for our fans. I want to see commitment and intensity from my players. They must never lose hope and will have to bounce back when things get hard.
"I've found a team that really want to show what they are capable of. I’ve felt it in these two weeks of hard work.
"The path ahead is a long one, which means that this game will certainly not be a turning point. The humility of winners is all about knowing where you stand.
The first game following international breaks usually delivers a plethora of shock results, as the momentum has been lost at clubs. This should give Fiorentina some hope although there are high expectations and pressure on Spalletti's shoulders.
Spalletti's record against Fiorentina is just five defeats from 27 contests and a dozen triumphs. So history favors the 66-year-old for today's match, although Fiorentina won two out of their past four Serie A home games against Juventus.
Pressure on Juventus head coach
Spalletti revealed in his pre-match press conference: “I expect a great performance from my players because it will be a very difficult game. We will not only find an opponent that will give everything, but an entire city that will push their players to give their all.
“It’s clear that I didn’t have many players available to me during this [international] break, but with the ones who were here we worked in depth on important aspects. We had a bit of time available to dedicate to each of them. Wherever we placed our focus, we saw a great response from the guys.
“I couldn’t have asked for more from those returning from their national teams. Everyone showed a great desire to train, even those who returned after long trips, and we put them to work, of course managing their workloads.
“But the real work is something else, managing to find our own stability on which to rest the strength of the team. It’s more a matter of creating a foundation recognized by the players. I am happy to have found what I was hoping to find here at Juventus.
“Being part of Juventus doesn’t mean being presumptuous, it also means not succumbing to the pressures. Personality is that thing you manage to develop based on where you find yourself.
Spalletti praises youngster Yildiz
“Kenan [Yildiz] is the one who breaks the mold, he offers another perspective. Whoever sparks Kenan into life, sparks the whole team into life because he represents the team. He has the behaviour of a leader, which is the best thing I could ask for.”
Turkish talent Yildiz has five goal contributions from 10 Serie A appearances this season, but he will wish to improve on this record with so many suitors monitoring his availability.
With his current dilemma over signing a contract extension at Juventus, there is plenty of serious interest from European giants, Arsenal have now been added to the list of teams that Yildiz's super agent Jorge Mendes has been speaking to about the 20-year-old.
Spalletti is anticipated to shake things up tactically, which could include utilizing Yildiz as a false no9 or employing the rising star in a no10 position if Vlahovic is rested for Tuesday's must-win Champions League tie at Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Expected line-ups
Juventus possible starting XI:
Di Gregorio - Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly, Koopmeiners - Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso - McKennie, Yildiz - David
Fiorentina possible starting XI:
De Gea - Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri - Dodo, Mandragora, Caviglia, Sohm, Fortini - Kean, Gudmundsson
Old Juve prediction
Fiorentina 1 Juventus 2
The Old Lady have defeated La Viola three times in their past five meetings, and this could end up being a stroll in the park if they click into top gear.
With only eight players available for training, Spalletti will have worked on set-pieces and ruled his eye over his lightweight squad. With Vlahovic's recent knock likely to leave the Serbia star on the bench, David could be given an opportunity to become the goal poacher for Juventus that he has been throughout his career.
A bruising battle appears to be on the cards, with the sides desperately seeking maximum points at different ends of the table. The manager new bounce for Fiorentina could keep them in the match until the late stages, when the gulf in class man-for-man should favor Juventus.