20 January 2017
When Bianconeri host Biancocelesti
18 wins, 6 draws, 0 defeats. Juventus’ last 24 league outings against Lazio make for pretty reading for anyone of a black and white persuasion as the two sides get set to lock horns this Sunday.
Of their five previous encounters at Juventus Stadium, the Bianconeri have triumphed four times, taking 13 from a possible 15 points on offer and playing some scintillating football in the process.
Simone Pepe’s brilliant bicycle kick back in April 2012 got the ball rolling in style and Alessandro Del Piero’s equally breath-taking free-kick in the dying moments of the game sealed a crucial 2-1 victory in Juve’s ultimately successful Serie A title bid that season.
The Biancocelesti would hold their hosts to a goalless stalemate the next time they visited the Stadium in November that year, but the Old Lady has since dominated proceedings over the Rome-based outfit, recording comfortable 4-1, 2-0 and 3-0 scorelines in their three most recent home meetings.
Last time out, Mario Mandzukic’s first-half strike and Paulo Dybala’s well-taken brace after the interval saw Juve romp to another important win as the champions closed in on a history-making fifth straight Scudetto title.
How the sides shape up
League leaders Juventus are looking to getting back to winning ways this Sunday after returning empty-handed from Florence last weekend.
The Bianconeri had won their last six in all competitions prior to that defeat to Fiorentina, five of which coming in front of their own fans. Victory over Lazio would extend their winning run at Juventus Stadium in Serie A to an extraordinary 27 matches, two weeks after famously setting a new all-time record in Italy’s top division.
Sunday’s visitors go into the game in good overall form. Eight wins in their last 11 league outings have seen Simone Inzaghi’s charges rise to fourth place and only five points behind Juve, albeit the champions still have a game in hand over their rivals (an away trip to Crotone scheduled for 8 February).
The Biancocelesti have been a force on their travels this term and had been unbeaten in five away outings (W 3, D 2) before losing to Inter at the San Siro just before Christmas.
Inzaghi’s men are still perfect so far in 2017 after beating Crotone and Atalanta in the league and Genoa in the Coppa Italia – all three matches played at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Main men to monitor
Feared by most opposition defences on the circuit, Gonzalo Higuain will undoubtedly be on the minds of the Biancocelesti backline this weekend and with good reason: Pipita has scored 11 goals in seven Serie A matches against Lazio and the Argentine hotshot is in fine form going into Sunday’s game too. His strike in the last match against Fiorentina was his sixth in four league games.
Paulo Dybala is also enjoying something of a purple patch after scoring three goals in his last three appearances at Juventus Stadium. La Joya has an excellent record against Sunday’s opponents, especially in Juventus colours, netting four in as many meetings.
Former Juventus forward Ciro Immobile leads Lazio’s scoring charts this term with 12 strikes in all competitions (11 in the league) and he’s netted in his last two outings after a barren run lasting seven games.
Felipe Anderson is also proving a handful this season. Only Napoli’s Jose Callejon has provided more assists (8) in Serie A this season than the Brazilian wide forward (7). Anderson’s trickery down the wings also sees him lead the way in the league for completed dribbles (57).
