Juventus vs Lazio
Allianz Stadium is the venue as Juventus and Lazio go head-to-head in a handsomely-looking Serie A encounter.
Juventus will be out to put a frustrating week of domestic action behind, as they followed up a disheartening 2-1 league defeat at relegation-threatened Genoa with a heartbreaking 4-2 Coppa Italia loss to bitter-rivals Inter Milan. Juve’s first trophyless season in over a decade has brought head coach Massimiliano Allegri under heavy scrutiny, even though ‘I Bianconeri’ have nailed a place in next season’s Champions League group phase with few games to spare. Desperate to bounce back from a couple of underwhelming showings, Juventus will be looking to build on their eye-catching 15-game Serie A record against Lazio (W12, D1, L2). Under Allegri’s stewardship, the record-time Italian champions have racked up ten wins in their 11 top-flight meetings with Lazio (L1), including a comfortable 2-0 triumph in the reverse fixture in Rome.
In the meantime, Roma’s lacklustre 1-1 draw with already-relegated Venezia hands fifth-placed Lazio an opportunity to extend a two-point cushion and solidify their position in a keenly-contested top-six run-in. Maurizio Sarri’s men have enjoyed a noticeable upturn in form in the build-up to this fixture, going from a pair of winless Serie A games (D1, L1) to back-to-back victories, albeit both arrived at the expense of bottom-half sides. Away from home, ‘I Biancocelesti’ have clocked up three triumphs in their last four Serie A matches (L1), including a dramatic 4-3 win at Spezia on their most recent league travel. Owners of a two-game winning league streak on the road, Lazio are aiming to make it three in a row outside the Stadio Olimpico for the first time since December 2020.