Juventus vs. Lazio: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream & TV Info
Having already secured the Serie A title and a place in the final of the Champions League, the dream of a treble is very much alive for Juventus. Lazio now stand in their way, however, with the Rome-based club looking to cap their own excellent season with a Coppa Italia triumph over the Bianconeri.
This past weekend saw the respective league position of each side have a major impact on their team selection, with Stefano Pioli forced to name his strongest possible XI as his side continue to battle with neighbours AS Roma for second place. Just minutes before the Biancocelesti kicked off against Sampdoria, however, a largely second-string Juventus recorded a 2-1 victory over Inter at San Siro.
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Led by goals from Claudio Marchisio and Alvaro Morata—both of whom are suspended for the cop final—Massimiliano Allegri was able to make seven changes from the team who drew with Real Madrid last week.
That should see them enter this encounter well-rested and prepared for a tough challenge, although both of this season’s clashes have seen comfortable victories for the Bianconeri. Winning 2-0 in Turin last month and 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico back in November, Lazio will hope to deliver a much-improved performance on Wednesday evening.
“We’ll be facing the best side in Italy, one of the best in Europe,” Pioli told Sky Italia this past weekend (h/t Football Italia). “Clearly we need the so-called perfect game, we are in Rome in front of our fans, so we’ll give it our best.”
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Time:8.45 p.m. CET (7.45 p.m. BST/2.45 p.m. EDT)
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (U.K.) BeIn Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (U.K.) BeIn Sports Connect (U.S.)
Form Lines
Last five domestic results:
| Torino 2-1 Juventus | Lazio 1-1 Chievo |
| Juventus 3-2 Fiorentina | Lazio 4-0 Parma |
| Sampdoria 0-1 Juventus | Atalanta 1-1 Lazio |
| Juventus 1-1 Cagliari | Lazio 1-2 Inter |
| Inter 1-2 Juventus | Sampdoria 0-1 Lazio |
Predicted Lineups
Juventus: (4-3-2-1): Storari; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba; Pereyra, Tevez; Llorente
Lazio: (4-3-3): Marchetti; Basta, De Vrij, Mauricio, Radu; Parolo, Ledesma, Lulic; Candreva, Klose, Anderson
Player to Watch
The man to watch for Lazio is almost certainly Antonio Candreva, the 28-year-old proving to be a superb acquisition for the club since arriving from Lazio. Having spent time at Juventus back in 2010, the Italian international will hope to guide the Rome-based club to victory over his former side.
He has contributed no fewer than 10 goals and eight assists this term, undoubtedly the man the Biancocelesti turn to when in need of an inspirational performance. The man himself puts the team’s improvement down to the enjoyable atmosphere surrounding them rather than his own play, however, as he explained to Sky Italia recently.
"We're enthusiastic, we have fun,” Candreva said (h/t Goal.com) as they reached second place in Serie A. “The results help us to be this high up [the table], we deserve it."
Key Battle
Lazio’s Felipe Anderson has been a revelation in 2014-15, playing a major role in the Rome club’s surge up the Serie A table. The Brazilian has been in sensational form since December, weighing in with a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions as he terrorises defences across the peninsula.
He is a major reason the Biancocelesti are in contention for a Champions League place, and it was his pass to Senad Lulic which ultimately secured their berth in this Coppa Italia final. The man tasked with keeping him in check on Wednesday is likely to be Juve’s first-choice right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner.
The Swiss international has been reliable and consistent since leaving Lazio for the Turin giants four years ago, and his ability to limit Anderson’s impact could be a decisive factor in his current club’s quest for a rare league and cup double.
Odds (via Odds Checker)
Away win: 11/4
Home win: 5/4
Draw: 12/5
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