Lazio vs Juventus Prediction & Tips
Back-to-back Serie A (SA) clean sheets have not only allowed Lazio to extend their current league clean sheet streak to six games, but also strengthen their grip on second place in the table going into this matchday with four points. It has been a remarkable turnaround for Lazio, who finished last season with the second worst defensive record among the teams in the top half of the table, while Maurizio Sarri’s men now boast the best defensive record in the Italian top flight with just 19 goals conceded.
With such a positive current performance, it seems like a good time to face a Juventus side they have only beaten once in their last 11 home duels against each other (E2, P8). Considering that six of Lazio’s eight home wins in the current SA campaign came without conceding, another solid defensive display should be expected here, but considering that the last time Lazio beat Juventus without conceding was in 2004, it doesn’t look like such an easy thing to happen.
The “Bianconeri” moved a little closer to the top six in the table, thanks to a narrow 1-0 win over Hellas Verona, but remain six points behind the coveted UEFA Champions League places. Following that win over Verona, they recorded a 1-1 draw in the Coppa Italia semifinal first leg against Inter in midweek, a match that ended in chaos with three red cards shown in stoppage time.
Without the much-publicized 15-point deduction, Juventus would be four points clear of Lazio in second place, and coach Massimiliano Allegri will be eager to confirm his team’s theoretical “second place” with an eye-catching result this matchday. Something will have to change, however, as the visitors have lost three of their four SA away games against teams ranked in the Top 6 (G1) this season, a record that will need to change if Juve are to continue to gain ground with the European places in mind.
Players to watch: After rounding off the scoring against Monza, Sergej Milinković-Savić became Lazio’s highest scoring foreign player (65), with four of his last six goals helping them to 4-0 victories. The protagonist of the decisive goal against Hellas Verona, Moise Kean, will be looking for an improved performance at the Stadio Olimpico after an appearance in which he was on the field for just 40 seconds before seeing red against Roma last month.
Key Stat: Juventus have gone into halftime on top and goalless in four consecutive matches against Lazio.
Lazio – Juventus FREE TIPS
Draw @ 3.25
