Lazio vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Notching their 10th consecutive Serie A victory this past weekend, Juventus take a break from league action on Wednesday, taking on Lazio in a repeat of last season’s Coppa Italia final.
Indeed, travelling south to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, the Bianconeri face the same opponent in the same stadium, but this year’s edition is a quarter-final matchup, and the winner will face either Napoli or Inter in the next round.
That duo go head-to-head before this latest clash with Lazio, which takes place just over a month after their last meeting, won 2-0 by the Turin giants. Yet despite their recent good form, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri is in no mood to see his side ease up as they shift focus.
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Taking to his personal Twitter account shortly after securing victory against Udinese, the coach said that he and his players “cannot relax as there is the Cup to defend!” Indeed, having lifted both the Coppa Italia and the league title in his first season with the club, Allegri will be looking for a repeat in both this time around.
For their part, the home side must look to maintain their own sharpness in a campaign that has seen them struggle somewhat.
Lazio finished 2014/15 in third place but currently sit ninth, with eight losses and just two wins in their last 11 Serie A fixtures, much to the annoyance of their coach Stefano Pioli.
“The team reacted well in terms of character, but considering our objectives for the campaign we ought to be always playing the way we did in the second half,” he told Mediaset Premium after a recent draw with Bologna (h/t Football Italia). “There are many things we need to work on.”
That starts with their attack, with only nine teams having scored fewer than their tally of 25 goals in the league and having laboured to a narrow 2-1 victory over Udinese in their latest Coppa Italia fixture.
Scoring could be a difficult proposition given the strength of the Juventus defence, while Lazio have netted just twice in their last six encounters with the Bianconeri, who struck no fewer than 12 times in those same matches.
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), RAI Uno (Italy)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)
Form Lines
Last five domestic results:
| Lazio 1-1 Sampdoria | Juventus 3-1 Fiorentina |
| Inter 1-2 Lazio | Carpi 2-3 Juventus |
| Lazio 0-0 Carpi | Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona |
| Fiorentina 1-3 Lazio | Sampdoria 1-2 Juventus |
| Bologna 2-2 Lazio | Udinese 0-4 Juventus |
Probable Formations
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Ricardo Berisha; Dusan Basta, Mauricio, Wesley Hoedt, Stefan Radu; Danilo Cataldi, Lucas Biglia; Felipe Anderson, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Antonio Candreva; Filip Djordievic.
Suspended: None
Juventus (3-5-2): Neto; Martin Caceres, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Stefano Sturaro, Hernanes, Paul Pogba, Alex Sandro; Alvaro Morata, Simone Zaza.
Suspended: None
Player to Watch
Arguably the man to monitor closely during this encounter is Juventus goalkeeper Neto. Almost certain to fill in for Gigi Buffon, the Brazilian has made just two appearances since joining the club in the summer.
According to Juve's official website, the former Fiorentina shot-stopper signed a four-year contract back in June, but his lack of playing time has seen his future reportedly come into question just a few months later.
Turin-based newspaper TuttoSport believe his reserve status means Neto may already be looking to move on (h/t Football Italia), and whether or not that is true, he will be looking for a strong showing here.
The 26-year-old might be looking to show his qualities to potential suitors, or just restate his credentials to Mister Allegri.
Key Battle
If Lazio are to enjoy success against Juventus, they will need Antonio Candreva to be at his very best throughout the tie.
Having played for the Bianconeri earlier in his career, he now captains the Rome-based club and has established himself as an essential figure at the Stadio Olimpico.
Playing on the right flank, Candreva is at the heart of all Lazio's attacking forays, and the task of stopping him on Wednesday evening is likely to fall to the excellent Alex Sandro.
Signed in the summer, the former Porto man has settled into Italian football very quickly, already becoming a viable alternative to Patrice Evra at either left-back or left wing-back.
Sandro scored his first goal for Juventus in their last outing against Udinese, adding a well-taken strike to the three assists he had already contributed so far this term.
The outcome of his head-to-head clash with Candreva is likely to heavily influence the final score, but it is a battle the Brazilian defender is certainly capable of winning.
Odds (via Odds Portal)
Away win: 113-100
Home win: 5-2
Draw: 223-100
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