Juventus 3-2 Fiorentina: A Star Is Born

Juventus vs Fiorentina is a unique rivalry in Italian football. Unlike other derbies in Serie A, mainly forged out of geography, the enmity between these two sides goes back to a plethora of incidents in the early 1980s and early '90s. From Juventus edging Fiorentina to their 20th Scudetto in the last round of games in the 1981/82 season or Roberto Baggio’s move to Juventus from Fiorentina in 1990 causing fans to riot in Florence, it is a fixture that elicits strong emotions. 

The rivalry has transcended across Serie A, Coppa Italia finals and the 1990 UEFA Cup final. However, when the two sides met in the league at the Stadio delle Alpi on Sunday 4th December 1994, it would produce the greatest game in the history of this illustrious rivalry and the birth of a new star. 

Both sides came into the game on the back of strong starts to the season. After losing their first league game of the season at Foggia (2-0) in mid-October, Juventus had won their last four league matches. Such good form propelled them up the table into 2nd, just a point behind league leaders Parma.

Under manager Marcello Lippi’s 4-3-3 formation, Juventus had reduced the dependence on Roberto Baggio by utilising Gianluca Vialli, Fabrizio Ravanelli and a young 20-year-old named Alessandro Del Piero. So when Baggio suffered a long term knee injury during the 2-1 win at Padova, just a week before facing Fiorentina, Lippi was not short of attacking options.