Ace Football previews the Serie A match between Juventus and Lazio, and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
Juventus and Lazio lock horns in Turin on Saturday night for a Serie A clash that neither side can afford to lose.
Six points and three places stand between these two clubs in the Italian league standings. Juventus are ahead in fourth and can close to within seven points of Scudetto leaders Inter Milan by beating Lazio, who sit a point outside the top-six in seventh.
This fixture is normally a close affair, with Juventus and Lazio grabbing two wins each in their last five meetings in all competitions. Goals could also be on offer with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ciro Immobile in the mix.
Juventus Form & Stats
A second-half turnaround earned Juventus a 3-0 win over newbies Spezia on Monday. Despite the scoreline, the game could’ve gone either way. Especially in the opening period when visitors attempted to snatch a shock lead. But Alvaro Morata, Federico Chiesa, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals settled the tie.
Bianconeri boss Andrea Pirlo has, though, struggled with several absentees recently. The latest player sidelined is Rodrigo Bentancur, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. And while Leonardo Bonucci has returned to training, Matthijs de Ligt hasn’t done so this week and is currently a doubt to face Lazio.
Despite the problems, Juventus have been strong at Turin. They’ve won nine of their last 10 home games across all competitions (D1) and have kept seven clean sheets in a row. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is back to his lethal self in front of goal and became the first player to score at least 20 league goals in his last 12 campaigns – a true testament to his incredible consistency.
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in their last 10 home games in all competitions (W9 D1).
- Won by 2+ goals in 7 of their last 10 home games in all competitions.
- Kept clean sheets in each of their last 7 home games in all competitions.
- Won 4 of their last 6 league games against Lazio (D1 L1).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 4 goals in his last 3 league games.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has managed 5 goals and 1 assist in 5 league games against Lazio.
- He has also made 31 goal contributions in only 30 appearances in all competitions (27 goals, 4 assists).
Lazio Form & Stats
Simone Inzaghi’s men visit Turin in a poor run of form, having lost three of their last four games (W1) in all competitions. These included a 3-1 loss to Inter and a 4-1 Champions League thrashing to Bayern Munich at home. The pressure, therefore, is on to deliver against Juventus.
One minor advantage Lazio may have over their opponents is the few extra days they’ve had to prepare for this match. The visitors’ midweek clash was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Torino squad. They also don’t have as many players missing and have the talent to exploit Juventus’ injury-hit defense.
Top-scorer Ciro Immobile, meanwhile, has suffered a dip in form recently. The striker hasn’t scored in any of his last four outings and missed a penalty in the 2-0 defeat to Bologna last time out. It’s cost him valuable ground to Ronaldo in the Capocannoniere race.
Key Team Stats
- Lost by 2+ goals in 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions (W1).
- Won only 5 of their last 15 away games in all competitions (D5 L5).
- BTTS in each of their last 4 league games against Juventus.
- Ciro Immobile has failed to score in his last 4 games in all competitions.
Team News
Juventus
Out: Paulo Dybala, Giorgio Chiellini, Rodrigo Bentancur, Gianluca Frabotta.
Doubts: Arthur, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt.
Lazio
Out: Luiz Felipe, Manuel Lazzari, Stefan Radu.
Doubts: N/A.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Serie A
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in Serie A.