Sarri Returns As Flaming Hot Ronaldo Set To Steer Juventus Past Fiorentina
13th September 2019
The ex-Chelsea coach missed his first two league games with the Serie A champions against Parma and his former club Napoli

- Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Italian league action after his four-goal spree for Portugal as Juventus head for Fiorentina on Saturday also boosted by coach Maurizio Sarri's highly-anticipated debut on the bench
- But the 60-year-old will be on the bench for the first time on Saturday as Juventus look to make it three wins this season before their Champions League opener at Atletico Madrid midweek.
- Ronaldo's four goals in Portugal's European qualifying win over Lithuania during the week were enough to send shivers down the spines of Fiorentina fans
MILAN, Italy- Cristiano
Ronaldo returns to Italian league action after his four-goal spree for Portugal
as Juventus head for Fiorentina on Saturday also boosted by coach Maurizio
Sarri's highly-anticipated debut on the bench after a bout of pneumonia.
The ex-Chelsea coach missed his first two league games with
the Serie A champions against Parma and his former club Napoli.
But the 60-year-old will be on the bench for the first time
on Saturday as Juventus look to make it three wins this season before their
Champions League opener at Atletico Madrid midweek.
Ronaldo's four goals in Portugal's European qualifying win
over Lithuania during the week were enough to send shivers down the spines of
Fiorentina fans.
The 34-year-old overtook Ireland's Robbie Keane as the
all-time top scorer in Euro qualifiers, with 25 goals, and will be looking to
impress further with the winner of the Best FIFA Football Awards to be named in
Milan on September 23.
Ronaldo will lead the Juventus attack along with Douglas
Costa and Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentine also in-form on his return to Turin
after a loan spell at Chelsea.
"I'm back on the same team as Cris (Ronaldo) after a
few years and he's even stronger, more complete and ambitious, I'm happy to
play with him again," said Higuain, who played alongside Ronaldo on Real
Madrid, said on Thursday.
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Fiorentina have also changed owners and coach with former AC
Milan and Sevilla manager Vincenzo Montella overseeing two defeats in as many games
on his return to the club.
"Great stories are born of impossible challenges,"
said Montella, whose side last beat their fierce rivals in January 2017.
The rivalry has been fuelled further after Juventus wrapped
up their eighth consecutive title with a 2-1 win at the expense of the Tuscans
last April.
"I'd like to start a new chapter in Fiorentina's
history by doing something special against Sarri's team," Montella told
Gazzetta Dello Sport.
And Montella believes that new French signing Franck Ribery
can make the difference for the team.
"Franck played the friendly against Perugia as if he
was playing the Champions League final," he said.
"He's different, as Ronaldo is different. We talk of
stars who excel through sacrifice. They are wonderful examples for
everyone."
"It will be hard, very hard, but we're convinced that
we will see a new great Fiorentina," said new Italian-American owner Rocco
Commisso hoping to build a team who can add to their Serie A titles in
1956 and 1969.
- Ancelotti 'outrage' -
Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli, who are midtable, need to pick
themselves up after Kalidou Koulibaly's own goal handed Juventus a 4-3 win in
Turin last weekend.
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But they play their first match at home this season against
Sampdoria with doubts over whether their San Paolo stadium will be ready in
time.
The Serie A outfit played their opening two league games
away from home, at Fiorentina and Juventus, due to the reconstruction of the
stadium.
Ancelotti said he was "outraged" after seeing the
state of the changing rooms midweek with their Champions League opener against
Liverpool next Tuesday.
The contractors have however insisted the work will be
completed by Friday.
Inter Milan welcome Udinese to the San Siro also looking to
extend their maximum points with Antonio Conte's side ahead of both Juventus
and Torino on goal difference.
Inter's new star signing Romelu Lukaku will be looking to
score for a third consecutive game a week after monkey chants against the
Belgian tarnished their 2-1 triumph at Cagliari.
Inter are also in Champions League duty against Slavia
Prague at the San Siro on Tuesday and need to avoid a slip-up against Udinese
who shocked AC Milan 1-0 in their season opener.
Torino host new boys Lecce, having also won their first two
matches, as Atalanta head for Genoa before travelling to Dinamo Zagreb for
their first ever Champions League game next week.
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Fixtures
Saturday
Fiorentina v Juventus (1300GMT), Napoli v Sampdoria (1600),
Inter Milan v Udinese (1845)
Sunday
Genoa v Atalanta (1030GMT), Brescia v Bologna, Parma v
Cagliari, SPAL v Lazio (all 1300GMT), AS Roma v Sassuolo (1600),
Verona v AC Milan (1845)
Monday
Torino v Lecce (1845GMT)