Juventus will hope to keep their good run of form going when they face a tricky Lazio side on Sunday.
Juventus return to Serie A action on Sunday evening looking for an immediate correction against Lazio after a sobering midweek setback. Their Coppa Italia exit halted a run of growing confidence in Turin, and this meeting with Lazio arrives at a moment where response and control matter just as much as the result itself.
Under Luciano Spalletti, Juventus have quietly rebuilt momentum over the past two months. Seven wins from their last nine league matches, accompanied by 21 goals, underline a side rediscovering attacking fluency without losing defensive structure. Only Inter Milan have collected more victories in that period, a return that has lifted Juve into the top four and secured passage into the Champions League knockout rounds.
For a team still adjusting to tactical refinements and squad evolution, the trajectory has been largely positive. That progress, however, was abruptly checked in Bergamo. After comfortably dispatching Parma in the league, a match highlighted by a rare brace from Bremer, Juventus were outplayed and outmuscled by Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. The 3-0 defeat was decisive, denying them a potential semi-final meeting with Lazio and exposing vulnerabilities when intensity levels rise sharply.
Now back at the Allianz Stadium, Juventus will lean on a formidable home record when they take on Lazio. They remain one of only two sides yet to lose a Serie A match on home soil this season, alongside Napoli, and have conceded just eight league goals in Turin. Recent meetings with Lazio also favour the hosts, with three straight home victories suggesting familiarity with how to manage this particular opponent.
Still, Lazio carry a psychological edge of their own. A narrow 1-0 win in the reverse fixture back in October gives them a rare opportunity to complete a league double over Juventus for the first time since 1943, a historical footnote that adds intrigue to Sunday’s contest.
For Maurizio Sarri, this return to Turin comes amid an uneasy second spell in charge. Lazio’s campaign has been shaped as much by off-field friction as on-pitch inconsistency, with a stripped-down squad and visible tensions following transfer decisions. The Biancocelesti have slipped to eighth, nine points adrift of the European places, and now appear increasingly detached from the continental race.
Yet Lazio have shown a knack for late drama. Last weekend’s 3-2 victory over Genoa, sealed by Danilo Cataldi’s 100th-minute penalty, offered a brief spark of belief. Remarkably, Lazio have scored five Serie A goals in second-half stoppage time this season, more than a fifth of their total, displaying resilience even when performances falter.
That resilience, however, has rarely travelled. Lazio’s away record remains a major concern: just six goals scored in 11 league matches on the road, their lowest tally at this stage of a season since 1990. Only three away wins underline the difficulty Sarri faces in extracting control outside the capital.
With a Derby d’Italia against Inter and a Champions League playoff looming, Juventus cannot afford hesitation. Lazio, meanwhile, must balance this trip with an upcoming Coppa Italia clash in Bologna, a competition that may yet offer their most realistic route to redemption. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how the clubs could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Luciano Spalletti is expected to revert to a more familiar configuration after making a handful of adjustments for Thursday’s Coppa Italia tie. With Serie A now the immediate priority, Juventus should field a stronger and more recognisable XI against Lazio, particularly in key areas of the pitch.
From a squad availability perspective, Juventus are dealing with a small but significant cluster of absences. Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik both remain sidelined and will not be involved, limiting Spalletti’s options at centre-forward.
There are no suspension concerns. Encouragingly for the hosts, Kenan Yildiz is expected to start despite recently managing an adductor issue, while first-choice goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio is set to return after being rested in midweek.
With Vlahovic and Milik unavailable, the responsibility of leading the line is likely to fall on Jonathan David, who continues to compete with Lois Openda for the central attacking role. David’s mobility and pressing ability give Juventus a slightly different dynamic in the final third, while recent arrival Jeremie Boga offers an alternative wide option from the bench, adding pace and directness if required.
Juventus are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, designed to provide balance between defensive control and attacking fluidity. Michele Di Gregorio should start in goal, tasked with organising a back line that has been particularly solid at home. The defensive unit is likely to feature Pierre Kalulu at right-back, Gleison Bremer and Lloyd Kelly as the central defensive pairing, and Andrea Cambiaso at left-back, offering width and overlap.
In midfield, Manuel Locatelli is set to anchor proceedings alongside Khephren Thuram, a pairing that blends positional discipline with ball-carrying power. Ahead of them, Franciscao Conceicao is expected to operate from the right flank, Weston McKennie should occupy a central attacking midfield role, and Kenan Yildiz is likely to start from the left, drifting inside to link play and create overloads.
At the tip of the attack, Jonathan David is poised to lead the line as the lone striker, supported by Juventus’ three advanced midfielders. Set-piece situations remain a notable strength, with Gleison Bremer continuing to pose a major aerial threat. Including his brace against Parma, the Brazilian defender has now scored 21 Serie A goals since opening his account in 2019 and has already contributed five goal involvements this season despite limited appearances.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David
SS Lazio
Lazio arrive in Turin carrying a lengthy list of absentees that significantly constrains Maurizio Sarri’s options. Club captain Mattia Zaccagni remains sidelined through injury, depriving the Biancocelesti of one of their most reliable attacking outlets. Defensive depth is also stretched, with Samuel Gigot and Manuel Lazzari both unavailable.
Matters are further complicated by the fitness of Alessio Romagnoli, who has been training away from the main group and remains doubtful, while Luca Pellegrini is suspended for one match and will miss the chance to face his former club. There are no additional suspension concerns beyond Pellegrini’s enforced absence.
Despite those setbacks, Lazio retain a core of experience, particularly in attack. Veteran winger Pedro Rodríguez is expected to start once again after featuring last weekend, a selection that will mark a notable personal milestone. The Spaniard is set to make his 150th Serie A appearance for Lazio, all achieved after the age of 33, underlining both his longevity and Sarri’s continued trust in his tactical intelligence.
From a structural standpoint, Lazio are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, aimed at maintaining compactness through midfield while relying on wide players to spark transitions. Ivan Provedel should start in goal, tasked with keeping Juventus at bay during what is likely to be a sustained spell of pressure. The back four is set to feature Adam Marusic at right-back, Mario Gila and Oliver Provstgaard as the central defensive pairing, and Nuno Tavares on the left, offering pace and forward thrust despite defensive risks.
In midfield, Toma Basic is likely to provide physical presence, with Danilo Cataldi operating as the central organiser and Kenneth Taylor adding energy and ball progression from advanced areas. This trio will be tasked with limiting Juventus’s control between the lines while supporting the front three whenever possible.
The attacking line should see Gustav Isaksen operating from the right wing, Daniel Maldini deployed centrally as a roaming forward who drops deeper to play as a ten rather than a fixed striker, and Pedro starting from the left, drifting inside to combine and exploit pockets of space.
This setup reflects Lazio’s need to remain flexible in possession, compensating for absences by leaning on movement, experience, and late runs rather than outright physical dominance. Overall, Sarri’s configuration suggests a side prepared to absorb pressure and look for moments on the break, while managing personnel limitations against one of Serie A’s strongest home teams.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Provstgaard, Tavares; Basic, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro
Key Stats
- Juventus have lost none of their Serie A home matches this season, conceding just eight league goals at the Allianz Stadium, a record matched only by Napoli on home soil.
- Juventus have won seven of their last nine Serie A games, scoring 21 goals in that span, a return bettered only by Inter Milan over the same period.
- Lazio have won just three of their 11 away league matches, scoring only six goals on the road, their lowest tally at this stage of a Serie A season since 1990.
- Lazio have scored five Serie A goals in second-half stoppage time this season, the most in the division, accounting for more than 20% of their total league goals.
- Juventus have won their last three home league meetings with Lazio, although Lazio claimed a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season, giving them a chance to complete a rare league double over the Bianconeri for the first time since 1943.
Player to Watch
Jonathan David
With Juventus short of recognised centre-forwards, Jonathan David’s role becomes even more pivotal on Sunday night. The Canadian striker is expected to lead the line in the continued absence of Dušan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik, placing the responsibility of converting possession into goals squarely on his shoulders.
David offers Juventus a different attacking profile compared to their injured forwards. Rather than operating as a static reference point, he thrives on movement, sharp positional shifts, and intelligent pressing from the front. His ability to drop into pockets between midfield and defence can disrupt Lazio’s shape, particularly against a back line that has struggled for consistency away from home.
What makes David especially dangerous in this matchup is his timing. He excels at attacking space created by runners from midfield, and with players like Weston McKennie and Kenan Yildiz arriving from deeper or wider areas, Lazio’s central defenders could be forced into uncomfortable decisions. David’s composure in one-on-one situations and his knack for finishing early often punish even brief lapses in concentration.
Beyond the tactical dimension, this is also an opportunity for David to further cement his importance within Juventus’s evolving attacking structure. Against a Lazio side missing several defensive regulars and conceding few margins on the road, Juventus will look to their striker to provide clarity in the final third, and David has the tools to be the difference-maker if service and tempo align in his favour.
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 SS Lazio
Juventus should approach this fixture with a clear sense of purpose after their midweek disappointment, and a return to the Allianz Stadium significantly tilts the balance in their favour. Their home control, defensive solidity, and improved attacking cohesion under Luciano Spalletti contrast sharply with Lazio’s ongoing struggles away from Rome.
Lazio may carry some threat through late-game resilience and moments of individual quality, but with several key absences and a poor away scoring record, sustaining pressure over 90 minutes looks unlikely. Juventus’s midfield control and superior structure should gradually wear the visitors down.
