Fiorentina break 30 year winless draught

That's right. Fiorentina has just sunk Juventus away in Turin for the first time in 30 years. The three points are a massive boost for Fiorentina's hopes to secure the fourth and final Champions League spot ahead of A.C. Milan.

With the injury of Adrian Mutu that will sideline him for the next four months, Fiorentina's hopes for maintaining the fourth-place spot in Serie A slipped significantly. Much of Fiorentina's success has been directly attributed to the in-form Mutu, who's scored 14 impressive goals, third overall in Serie. Aside from hisscoring proficiency, Fiorentina 's team play has greatly been influenced by the Romanian. Mutu's injury could end their Champions League hopes.

Cesare Prandelli, Fiorentina's head coach, will now have to depend on his young and inexperienced players. But before we get to them, there are high calibre players and stars within the roster. Riccardo Montolivo, for one, has been regaining steam after a lacklustre start to 2008. The playmaker is again displaying the form that has gained him national team call-ups under Italy's Roberto Donadoni. Sebastien Frey, Fiorentina's French goalkeeper, has gained recognition as the second best goalkeeper in Serie A, second to Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon. Furthermore, Cristian Vieri is also on the payroll, providing a wealth of experience, though his overall form has been consistently criticized by the fans and media. Also not to be forgotten, Tomas Ujfalusi, Martin Jorgenson, Fabio Liverani, and Franco Semioli.

Although the team has its strengths, Adrian Mutu has been an irreplaceable figure for the team. His injury will now force the youngsters within the ranks to prove their worth to the team and fans. The three primary youth players for Fiorentina that all eyes will be fixed on are Papa Waigo, Pablo Osvaldo, and Giampaolo Pazzini. Of the three mentioned, Pazzini has been the only player to get national recognition. Pazzini has displayed his abilities on numerous occasions and has worked nicely in Prandelli's three attacker formation. Prandelli showed his faith in the youngster giving him the start against Juventus. Pazzini played well and worked hard for his side. Yet the equalizer was scored by the substitute Waigo, while the game winner was netted in injury time by the also substituted Osvaldo.

Prandelli's substitutes proved to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the match and boosted the confidence of the team and supporters, proving there still can be success without Mutu as long as the team can rely upon themselves to rise the occasion. It will be important for Prandelli to find consistent goal scorers from within his ranks to finish off the season with fourth place secured ahead of A.C. Milan. It will not be easy as A.C. Milan will be working in overdrive to challenge for that spot. With both A.C. Milan and Fiorentina in important secondary competitions, the Champions League and UEFA Cup respectively. Will Fiorentina prove that they have the drive and depth to hold A.C. Milan at bay? Or will they succumb to fatigue near the final stretch?

We will have to wait and see. In the meantime, we can still be entertained by a surprisingly resilient Fiorentina.