The top-four race in Serie A could go down to the wire as the final position could also be determined by fine margins. Starting with hosts Lazio ahead of this crucial game against Juventus, the Roman side managed to scrape through against relegation-threatened Empoli with a Boulaye Dia winner.
The striker clinched his ninth goal of the season, and those strikes have by themselves earned the team 11 points this term. Back to the top-four race, since Lazio’s big loss to fellow rivals Bologna, Marco Baroni’s side have gone six games unbeaten in the league and is still very much in the fight for a Champions League spot.
Lazio are level on points with fourth-placed and fifth-placed Juventus and AS Roma, respectively, while they have Bologna chasing them down from behind as they are only a point adrift. The race for the final Champions League spot could go down to the wire, and Lazio are in must-win territory ahead of them hosting the Bianconeri.
Juventus will head to the Italian capital with the view of proving a point against another big team. Last weekend, they failed to break down Bologna, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw, and this has been a recurring theme under former boss Thiago Motta as well as Igor Tudor.
Juventus are currently in fourth, but only on goal difference, with that gap to AS Roma only standing at two goals at the moment. The fans and Tudor will see the remaining games against Udinese and Venezia as winnable encounters, but their chances of a top-four finish will depend on whether they can overcome Lazio in what could be a must-win game for the Turin giants.
There has been a massive boost behind the scenes for Lazio as full-back pair Manuel Lazzari and Nuno Tavares have resumed full training ahead of the game against Juventus. The only other full-back that is available is Juventus-owned Luca Pellegrini, as he could potentially start against his parent club.
Given Lazzari and Tavares have only recemtly returned, there is a probability for them to start off the bench rather than from the start. So, Adam Marusic might take the right-back slot for this clash. Mario Gila and Alessio Romagnoli are the preferred choices at the heart of the defence, while, Nicolo Rovella and Matteo Guendouzi will start in the central midfield spots.
Boulaye Dia will assume the attacking midfield or second striker role behind leading man Valentin Castellanos. Gustav Isaksen will start on the right wing, while Mattia Zaccagni will take his spot on the left side of the attacking three for Lazio against Juventus.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Rovella, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
Juventus have a host of problems in their squad, with some key men missing from action ahead of this trip to Rome. Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly are ruled out, while Teun Koopmeiners will stay out as he has not recovered from an Achilles problem. Andrea Cambiaso is missing with a thigh injury, while key attacker Kenan Yildiz will serve the second of his two-match ban.
Igor Tudor may have to tweak his system to accommodate those available. So, he could name a similar lineup that played against Bologna. Nicolo Savona could once again feature in place of Kelly. Alberto Costa and Timothy Weah will feature as the wing-backs in this clash.
Nico Gonzalez could partner Randal Kolo Muani in a two-pronged frontline, with Weston McKennie operating behind those two attackers. Khepren Thuram is best placed to start in midfield alongside usual partner Manuel Locatelli as the likes of Dusan Vlahovic might find himself again on the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Savona; Costa, Locatelli, Thuram, Weah; McKennie, Gonzalez, Kolo Muani
The Frenchman will have seen his parent side go through to the UEFA Champions League final, and he might have reflected what might have happened had he stayed. However, Kolo Muani has a big job for Juventus ahead, as his performances may be a difference between them qualifying for the Champions League or playing in the Europa League next season.
While Igor Tudor has preferred him over Dusan Vlahovic, due to the Serbian’s illness, and this might be another game when the Frenchman could have his chance to shine. Tudor will certainly hope so, and Kolo Muani will have to have a decisive display in Rome.
Juventus have not been exactly the kind of team thriving under pressure this season. It is the opposite for them, as the Bianconeri have often struggled for relevance against sides in and around them in the table; Lazio are one of them.
The upcoming game is probably the most important one for either team, with Lazio coming in here with the slight advantage of playing at home. Baroni’s men are in the form compared to their visitors to take three points as Lazio are likely to change the outcome of the top-four race against Juventus.
