02 March 2018
ON TO THE CAPITAL
After Juve booked their place in Rome this week in their TIM Cup semi-final second leg against Atalanta, La Vecchia Signora will head to the eternal city this weekend to face Lazio in a key Serie A matchup.
Juve took on Atalanta midweek in the second leg of their cup semi-final, after their weekend tie was postponed. Juve held a 1-0 advantage from the tie in Bergamo, and both sides were evenly matched throughout most of the contest.
However, Miralem Pjanic stepped up to convert a penalty past Etrit Berisha in the Atalanta goal, with the Bosnian's effort proving to be enough on the night, as the Old Lady again won 1-0 (2-0 on aggregate) to advance into the TIM Cup final.
LAZIO STILL GOING STRONG
Despite losing in their TIM Cup semi-final second leg against AC Milan on penalties in midweek, Lazio are still enjoying a good season under coach Simone Inzaghi, with Le Aquile currently occupying third place in the Serie A table. The capital side acquired former Juventus defender Martin Caceres over the winter with the Uruguayan having started the season at fellow Serie A side, Hellas Verona.
Last weekend saw them triumph 3-0 away to Sassuolo in an action-packed game, as midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic gave them the lead after seven minutes, before Serie A top scorer, Ciro Immobile made it two before half-time from the spot.
Lazio made it three just a minute into the second half as Milinkovic-Savic scored his second of the match. Both sides finished the game with 10 men, as Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi was shown a straight red in 54th minute, and then Lazio’s Adam Marusic was also given a red eight minutes later.
LAST TIME VS LAZIO
The Biancocelesti inflicted Juve’s first defeat at home in over two years on matchday eight, winning 1-2 in Turin. Juventus took the lead in the 23rd minute as Douglas Costa stroked home to score his first ever goal for the Bianconeri, following Sami Khedira’s saved shot.
Lazio were able to turn the game around early in the second half, when Immobile was sent through and the Italian striker kept his composure to finish past Buffon. The former Juve striker was again involved as he won and converted a penalty in the 54th minute to put the visitors ahead.
Massimiliano Allegri responded by sending on Paulo Dybala, and La Joya thought he had equalised at the start of stoppage time, but his well-executed volley agonisingly came off the post and out. In the dying embers of the match Juve won a penalty when Federico Bernardeschi was fouled in the box, but Dybala’s penalty was saved by Thomas Strakosha to ensure that Lazio left Turin with all three points.
#LAZIOJUVE MATCH STATS
- In 73 games in Rome, Juve have won 31 times to Lazio’s 24 with 18 draws.
- Lazio haven’t won at home against the Bianconeri since December 2003.
- Juve have won their last seven away league matches in a row and will match their own record set in February 2016 with one more.
- No team has conceded less headed goals than Juve and Lazio in the league (three each).
- Juve (11) and Lazio (10) have scored the most goals from outside the box.
- The Bianconeri are the only team in the league not to concede a goal to substitute.
- Only Immobile (14) has scored more goals away from home than Dybala (nine) this season.
- Immobile has scored the most headed goals in Serie A with five.
- Milinkovic-Savic is the youngest midfielder to have scored at least nine goals in the five major European leagues.
- Dybala and Milinkovic-Savic both have the most goals from distance with five.
