ROME - Juventus coach Fabio Capello said fighting spirit was in his team's blood after they came from behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw away to Fiorentina.
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Juve salvaged a precious point to remain neck and neck with Serie A title rivals AC Milan, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Brescia.
Milan and Juve both have 67 points with eight games left to play.
"The fact we fought back three times was psychologically important and the team showed great character and determination," Capello said.
"This team has fighting spirit in its blood. They are strong, very attentive and have a burning desire to finish first."
A capacity 45,000 crowd were treated to a six-goal thriller in Florence.
Giampaolo Pazzini's superb right-footed strike gave Fiorentina the lead, before Alessandro Del Piero levelled the score when his shot slipped through the fingers of Christian Cejas.
Giorgio Chiellini's flicked header restored the home side's lead before half-time, but another Cejas error gifted Ibrahimovic a 59th minute equaliser
The Argentine goalkeeper's attempted kicked clearance fell straight to the feet of the former Ajax forward, who drilled the ball back into an unguarded net.
Dario Dainelli thought he had given Fiorentina a much-needed win when he headed home Marco Donadel's free-kick in the 75th minute, but Ibrahimovic drew Juve level eight minutes from time.
Cutting in from the left wing, the lanky Swede played a quick one-two with Stephen Appiah before clipping the ball over the advancing Cejas.
Juve, who were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final last Tuesday, host the English Premiership side for the return tie next Wednesday.
A point left Fiorentina sixth from bottom and they remain in danger of losing their Serie A status.
Reigning champions Milan, looking jaded after their 2-0 Champions League win over Inter on Wednesday, were denied their ninth consecutive league victory three minutes from time when Cameroon defender Pierre Wome fired an angled drive into the bottom corner.
Manuel Rui Costa, who signed a one-year contract extension earlier this week, gave Milan the lead in the 14th minute with a right-footed curler.
Brescia, who held Milan to a goalless draw back in November, remain second from bottom on 27 points, three ahead of bottom club Atalanta who host fellow strugglers Chievo on Sunday.
Third-placed Inter Milan made some ground on the top two, but are still 14 points off the pace after their 1-0 win away to Bologna.
Argentine striker Julio Cruz scored against his former club to secure the three points, slotting home Andy van der Meyde's cross in the fourth minute.
Inter's victory lifted some of the gloom hanging over them after their 'Euroderby' defeat and saw them pull five points clear of fourth-placed Udinese, who host Roma on Sunday.
04/09/2005 22:04 GMT