Lazio will be keen to embark on a winning streak when they travel to Juventus on Saturday.
Italian giants Juventus will welcome SS Lazio to the Allianz Stadium for what should be a cracking clash in the Serie A this weekend. Should they win, the Bianconeri could go top of the Serie A standings at least until the Milan Derby is over later that night.
Juventus have enjoyed a fine start to the season and will be keep to keep the run going. Having failed to finish in the top four last season, Massimiliano Allegri will be keen to ensure UEFA Champions League qualification. Lazio took Juventus’s place in the top four last season, and the game could be a six pointer in the race for a top four finish.
Maurizio Sarri’s side have endured a difficult start to the campaign, losing two games on the trot. Should they lose again this weekend, Lazio could find themselves with much to do in the months to come.
The visitors stunned Scudetto holders Napoli last time around, winning 2-1 away at the Vesuvian side. Momentum is a strong factor in football, but it remains to be seen if the international break has taken the wind out of Lazio’s lungs.
With Champions League games to come, Sarri will need his men to find their mojo soon. A win away to Turin, a venue that has proven to be a historically difficult one could prove to be a season defining moment. It promises to be an excellent game between two teams with big ambitions this season. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
🏃♂️ Scaldando i motori in vista di #JuveLazio 🔜⚽ pic.twitter.com/ruaOD22DpQ
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) September 14, 2023
The international break came at a good time for Juventus, givi8ng some of their injured stars time to recover. This includes Wojciech Szczesny and Federico Gatti, both of who are now available for selection. As things stand Mattia De Sciglio is the home side’s lone absentee due to injury.
There were fears that star winger Federico Chiesa would miss out after succumbing to an adductor injury while with Italy. However, he is expected to recover in time to feature this weekend. Whether that will be from the get-go or off the bench remains to be seen.
One player who is unavailable for selection is star midfielder Paul Pogba. The Frenchman’s nightmare return to Turin continues as he is now being investigated for doping. With talks of his career coming to a halt pending investigation, Allegri will have to do so without the FIFA World Cup winner.
The Italian tactician has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from and has momentum on his side. A 3-5-2 formation could be on the cards with Wojciech Szczesny in goal. The trio of Danilo, Gleison Bremer and Federico Gatti should form the backline.
Andrea Cambiaso and Filip Kostic should start out wide as the wing-backs with the trio of Nicolo Fagioli, Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot forming the midfield triad. Federico Chiesa should take to the field if deemed fit and should partner a sharp Dusan Vlahovic in attack.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Gatti; Cambiaso, Fagioli, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; , Vlahovic, Chiesa
SS Lazio
The Biancocelesti got off to a poor start this season, failing to win any of their first two Serie A games. They flipped the tables against defending champions Napoli last time around and will now hope to continue that rich vein of form away to Turin.
Lazio ended the 2022/23 season with a reputation for being tight at the back. But then, they have not kept a single shutout in the league this season. Given Juventus’s current form, it will take a special showing for them to come away with a point or more on the night.
Italy skipper Ciro Immobile picked up a minor knock during the international break. But Lazio have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from. Maurizio Sarri will be keen to put his former side to the sword and could choose to start with Immobile provided the veteran striker can prove his fitness.
🎙️Le conferenze stampa di presentazione di Sepe, Mandas e Guendouzi
➡️ https://t.co/6r8pOVZeAq pic.twitter.com/d08zRYxIQw
— S.S.Lazio (@OfficialSSLazio) September 13, 2023
The visitors are expected to retain their favoured 4-3-3 formation, with Ivan Provedel in goal. The quartet of Adam Marusic, Nicolo Casale, Alessio Romagnoli and Elseid Hysaj should form the backline.
The hero at Napoli, Daichi Kamada should start in the midfield with Danilo Cataldi and Luis Alberto in tow. The trio of Felipe Anderson, Ciro Immobile and Mattia Zaccagni form a formidable frontline that can prove difficult to stop if they get going.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Kamada, Cataldi, Alberto; Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
Key Stats
- Lazio have won just one of their last seven Serie A clashes against Juventus.
- Juventus have not lost consecutive Serie A games to Lazio since 2001. Lazio have lost 85 games to Juventus in their history. This is the most reversals the Biancocelesti have against an opponent in Serie A.
- Since moving to the Allianz Stadium in 2011, Juventus have defeated Lazio nine times at the venue in Serie A. Juventus have only secured more home league wins in this time frame against AS Roma, Udinese Calcio and ACF Fiorentina.
- A clean sheet on the night will see Juventus keep three clean sheets in their opening four games of a Serie A campaign for the second season in a row. Should it happen, it will be just the second time that Juventus have managed such a feat in their history.
- Failing to win on the night will see Juventus go three straight Serie A home games without a win for just the second time since they moved to the Allianz Stadium.
Player to Watch
Federico Chiesa
The Italian maestro has often struggled with injuries but is on his day a game winner. With two goals in the first three games so far, Chiesa has started the campaign well and has struck up a solid partnership alongside Dusan Vlahovic.
Having him deployed out on the left with Filip Kostic on the overlap should give Lazio much to worry about on their right flank. Even if his current knock relegates him to the bench, Chiesa is Juventus’s most dangerous attacker and should play some role in the match.
Prediction
Juventus 1-1 SS Lazio
Juventus are flying high and will hope to win their first home game of the campaign both second time of asking. Lazio too will be aware that they cannot drop any more points, especially not to a direct rival in the race for a top four finish. It promises to be a hard fought game with both sides settling for a share of the spoils.
