Juventus Maintains Title Charge But Must Avoid Third Straight Loss to Lazio
Juventus will travel to the Stadio Olimpico knowing that their opponents have already beaten them twice this season. Lazio defeated I Bianconeri in the Italian Super Cup 3-2 back in August, and had the upper hand at Juve's turf when they won 2-1 at the Allianz Stadium.
Both sides come into this game after contrasting results in their respective Coppa Italia semifinal ties. I Biancocelesti suffered heartbreak after enduring 120 minutes of football only to be beaten on spot kicks by AC Milan. Whereas Juve had a more comfortable game against Atalanta, as they booked their place in the final with a 1-0 win.
This game couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time for Simone Inzaghi's Lazio side, as mental and physical fatigue may play a part in the game for his players.
Whereas, Massimiliano Allegri will be confident that his team can close the gap on leaders Napoli - who are four points ahead - as his side go into Saturday's game 19 games unbeaten in all competitions.
This game has all the right ingredients to be a classic, so here's everything you'll need to know ahead of Saturday's clash:
Classic Encounter
Lazio 3-4 Juventus (1995)
AC Milan were the dominant force in Italian football prior to the 1995 season, winning three consecutive Scudetti, and Juventus were the team that wanted to make sure that they wouldn't win a fourth.
This match featured the likes of: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Middlesbrough hero Fabrizio Ravanelli, and a 20-year-old Alessandro Del Piero. Lazio winger Roberto Rambaudi put the home side ahead in the 20th minute, before Del Piero equalized just 17 minutes later. Champions League winner Giancarlo Marocchi put Juve ahead in the second half, before Del Piero bagged his second to put I Bianconeri in a comfortable position.
Former Blackburn Rovers forward Corrado Grabbi put the game to bed with Juve's fourth goal. However, the home side didn't fail to show spirit at the end of the game as ex-Birmingham City assistant manager Pierluigi Casiraghi provided a consolation goal in the 83rd minute.
The hard-working Diego Fuser made it 4-3 in the last minutes to create a nervy atmosphere at the Stadio Olimpico. However, Juventus held on till the end and claimed what would prove to be a crucial three points, as they went on to dethrone AC Milan and claim their first Serie A title after nine years.
Key Battle
Ciro Immobile vs Giorgio Chiellini
No team is more aware of the threat that Ciro Immobile possesses than Juventus, as he has managed to bag four goals in his last two appearances against the Serie A champions.
The Serie A top scorer - who has 23 goals in 23 games this season - seems to be improving with every game that he plays and it will take some grit and determination to try and stop the Italian striker from finding the back of the net.
There's no better man for the job than Italian counterpart Giorgio Chiellini, who is well aware of Immobile's ability after seeing it first-hand with the Italian national team. Juve haven't conceded in the last six Serie A matches, which could be concerning for Immobile.
Team News
Juventus' top scorer Gonzalo Higuain may miss the clash on Saturday according to manager Allegri, he said: "Higuain is not available right now. He hasn’t trained for a few days and we’ll see if he is available on Saturday."
Juve do have Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi back from injury after they both played a part in their 1-0 over Atalanta in the Coppa Italia in midweek. Bianconeri winger Federico Bernardeschi is expected to miss the fixture after he was forced off the field against Torino last weekend.
Juan Cuadrado is expected to continue his stint on the sidelines, alongside Mattia De Sciglio.
Lazio winger Pedro Neto could be back in the squad after injury, but Bruno Jordao is expected to be unavailable for selection.
Predicted Lineups
Lazio: Strakosha; Wallace, De Vrij, Radu, Mausic; Parolo, Lucas, Milinkovic-Savic; Lulic, Alberto, Immobile
Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Benatia, Chiellini, Sandro; Pjanic, Khedira, Matuidi; Dybala, Mandzukic, Costa
Prediction
Juventus will be desperate to close the gap on leaders Napoli and know full well that they can't afford to drop any points. Lazio on the other hand will want to cement their position in the top four, as fifth-placed Roma are breathing down their necks.
The away side will be looking at the clash as a quest for revenge as Lazio have already beaten them twice this season. However, without star man Higuain, Juve could struggle in the attack, whereas Lazio have the league's top scorer in their ranks.
It promises to be a tense affair in this top fo the table clash, it also may be a tight affair that might be decided by complacency on the day. However, I Bianconeri will go into this game in a professional manner and may just have what it takes to close the gap on first-placed Napoli.
Lazio 1-2 Juventus
