After back to back wins in the cup and league, Massimiliano Allegri aimed for his side to keep up the momentum by fielding a front three of Dušan Vlahović, Federico Chiesa and Ángel Di María.
However, it was a goal from Adrien Rabiot the split the sides after both teams had efforts ruled out for offside by VAR in the second half.
THE MATCH
Two of the front three linked up for the game’s first chance. On 12 minutes Vlahović won the ball in midfield. His quick pass to Di María gave the Argentine time to pick his shot, a shot that was deflected to the far edge of the six-yard box where Filip Kostić was lurking.
The number 17 seemed destined to score in successive matches after his goal against Salernitana but struck his effort wide.
On 24’ Kostić then had another opportunity from almost the exact same position. This time the chance sprung from a Chiesa run and cross down the right flank. Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenković slipped as the ball reached him, catching Vlahović off guard. Again at the far post was Kostić, who this time was denied by Pietro Terracciano, who blocked the shot on his goal line.
The Viola keeper thought he had done likewise 10 minutes later, but goal line technology ruled otherwise. A decision that gave Juve the lead.
Mattia De Sciglio delivered an excellent cross after linking up with Chiesa. Adrien Rabiot was at the far post, and the midfielder put enough power in his header for it to go over the line, confirmed by the signal received by the referee.
Manuel Locatelli ensured Wojciech Szczęsny was not tested by the visitors as he threw himself into two consecutive clearances inside his own penalty area as the Viola attempted to level before the half-time whistle.
Technology would take centre stage also in the second half.
On the hour mark, Locatelli won possession on the half-way line and intelligently touched the ball into space for Kostić. From one Serb to another as the winger played through Vlahović. The striker raced in on goal and delivered a deft finish for his first goal against his former side, or so he thought.
VAR disallowed the goal for offside. And not for the last time.
It was the first and last opportunity for the Juve number 9, replaced by Moise Kean, whose first involvement was to find himself one-on-one with Terracciano after the ball was deflected into his path by Kostić. Kean’s crashed his close-range shot against the Fiorentina keeper.
Juventus sat back to defend in depth in the closing 10 minutes as the Viola pressed for an equaliser. Luka Jović glanced a header just wide on 82’. Then again in the final minute of normal time, VAR was called on again.
The ball was driven into the net by Gaetano Castrovilli through a ruck of players. However, from the delivery into the area, Luca Ranieri was fractionally offside. For the referee the central defender participated in the lead-up to the goal, which therefore led to its being disallowed.
Juve saw out stoppage time without risking further for three hard-earned points, which pushed them within one point of seventh place.
JUVENTUS 1-0 FIORENTINA (HT: 1-0)
Scorer: 34’ Rabiot (J)
JUVENTUS: Szczęsny; Danilo, Bremer, Alex Sandro; De Sciglio, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostić; Chiesa (82′ Paredes), Di Maria (75′ Fagioli); Vlahović (65′ Kean). Subs not used: Perin, Pinsoglio, Gatti, Rugani, Barbieri, Barrenechea, Soulé, Iling-Junior. Coach: Allegri.
FIORENTINA: Terracciano; Dodò (79′ Terzić), Ranieri, Milenkovic, Biraghi; Amrabat, Duncan (61′ Castrovilli); Ikoné (65′ Jović), Bonaventura (79′ Saponara), Gonzalez (79′ Cabral); Kouamé. Subs not used: Cerofolini, Sirigu, Venuti, Quarta, Bianco, Brekalo. Coach: Italiano.
Referee: Fabbri.
BOOKINGS: 1′ Rabiot, 19′ Alex Sandro, 30′ Duncan, 47′ Bonaventura, 85′ Bremer, 87′ Kostic