Serie A: The Old Lady Heads to Rome in Search of a Victory

Lazio vs Juventus

12^th hosts seventh when Serie A: Lazio vs Juventus kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, where Igor Tudor’s Bianconeri are searching for a long-awaited victory.  

The Old Lady has slipped down the Serie A league table after a winless run of six matches in all competitions and they meet another side which is not where it wants to be. Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio has been dogged by inconsistency and have drifted off the pace, eight points behind the top and five behind the European places. So a draw is not a whole lot of good for either team.    

Juventus met Real Madrid on Wednesday in a Champions League clash with plenty of eyes on it; and they frustrated Los Blancos for much of the game before succumbing to a Jude Bellingham strike on the hour. It was a strong defensive performance but the Old Lady isn’t particularly dangerous in attack at the moment and that is what Tudor must change… starting in Rome on Sunday. 

 

Talking Points

Battling Lazio pack a punch

While Juventus have been toothless of late, Lazio have shown two sides to their game and now Sarri needs to turn a tough mental attitude into more points. Last week Lazio held on to a 0-0 draw away to Atalanta, a game they controlled in the first half before tiring in the second. But with the 30-year-old Azzurri star, Alessio Romagnoli at the heart of defence, Sarri’s men stood firm and kept La Dea at arms length. 

But this is a side with attacking threat too. Before the draw with Atalanta, Lazio scored six goals in two games. Right winger Matteo Cancellieri is top scoring with three so far this season, bagging a brace in a recent 3-3 draw with Torino, a match saved for the Romans when Danilo Cataldi scored an equalising penalty, a full 13 minutes into stoppage time. Sarri’s team can’t expect Il Toro’s Turin neighbours to be quite so generous on Sunday. But they have plenty of quality in their ranks, including midfield anchor and former Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi, Senegalese striker Boulaye Dia, on loan from Salernitana, and inspirational skipper Mattia Zaccagni.  

 

Goal drought is costing Juventus dear 

The pre-match Lazio vs Juventus betting odds favour an away win, but to win games you need to score goals and that is something the Old Lady has spectacularly failed to do in recent weeks. A run of four draws and then two losses, away to Como in the league and then Real Madrid in the Champions League is a disappointing enough return, but in that sequence they have failed to score a single goal in the last three games and only four in total. Juve’s recent clash with top four rivals AC Milan was a case in point as I Bianconeri shared possession and there was an even shot-count, but they failed to lay a glove on I Rossoneri; and Tudor needs to find the right mix up front to change things. 

Take a look at the Bianconeri squad and there are goals there, with proven striker 

Dusan Vlahovic leading the line, though he has only scored two league goals so far. 22-year-old forward year old Francisco Conceicao has shown a lot of promise, with pace and guile and a willingness to take a shot, while Tudor has also dipped into the market for re-enforcements. Belgian striker Lois Openda has arrived on loan from Red Bull Leipzig where he scored 33 in 69 games while 25 year old Canadian hit-man Jonathan David scored 87 goals in 178 games for Lille before his switch to Italy, and he has bagged  37 goals in 71 for the Maple Leafs. 

A one-in-two striker is just what Juventus need and they have good creative players ready to supply the ammunition. 20-year-old Turkish wiz-kid Kenan Yildiz is a menace on the flanks and he has an eye for goal, with ten goals in 69 games, while 27-year-old Netherlands midfielder Teun Koopmeiners knows how to unlock a defence.  

 

History 

The head-to-head Lazio vs Juventus results have shown a close rivalry in recent years with two wins each from the last five games and the most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw. The Old Lady was seconds away from winning the clash after Randal Kolo Muani headed them in front, but Mattias Vecino grabbed a last-minute leveller for Lazio.     

Recent form slightly favours Lazio, who have won two, draw two and lost two of the last six games, while the Old Lady has scraped together four draws and two defeats from her last six games. 

 

Betting Tip

At SBOTOP odds of 2.25 I Bianconeri are favourites to win this clash and end their winless streak, with the draw at 3.00 and a home win at 3.40. 

Despite Juve’s need for goals I sense a cagey game and, for an alternative bet, a 0-1 win to the visitors is priced at 6.50. 

   

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