What: Italian Serie A
Who: Juventus vs Lazio
When: Wednesday 11th April, 2012, at 19:45 UK time
Where: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
Turning Tide
Four points behind AC Milan until recently, Juventus took the Serie A lead for the first time in eight matchdays as the Rossoneri’s loss to Fiorentina on Saturday allowed Antonio Conte’s men to move to the top of the pile, one point clear. With seven games remaining before the conclusion of the season, Juventus need to continue their hard work, starting with a win over Lazio.
Midfielder Andrea Pirlo highlighted the importance of his side holding their fate in their own hands at this crucial stage of the season, saying that his side can now maintain their focus on the rest of their fixtures.
“It has been a while since we were top. We know that everything now depends on us. Winning all seven of our remaining fixtures would put us out of sight. As it stands, we have 50% possibility of winning the Scudetto”, explained the World Cup winner. “We need to play all our fixtures without thinking about the name of our opposition, taking each game at a time.”
Claiming Third Place
While Juventus might have their eyes firmly locked on winning their 27th Scudetto, Lazio are in the hunt for the third and last Champions League qualification spot for next season’s edition. A 3-1 win over big Italian players Napoli at the weekend was a step in the right direction, but they will have to display more of the same when they face Juventus here, as well as Udinese and Inter in the coming weeks.
Coach Edy Reja praised his side’s fighting spirits after the match against Napoli, urging them to produce this kind of display whenever they meet big sides.
“In the first half we were in a bit of difficulty, Napoli are a good team. In the second half we did far better. The regret is that when we play teams which are within our reach, we do not always produce a good performance like tonight. Now we need to think of Wednesday’s game against Juventus, who are in good shape.”
Recent form
Juventus:
Juventus 2-0 Inter (25/03; Serie A)
Juventus 3-0 Napoli (01/04; Serie A)
Palermo 0-2 Juventus (07/04; Serie A)
Lazio:
Lazio 1-0 Cagliari (25/03; Serie A)
Parma 3-1 Lazio (31/03; Serie A)
Lazio 3-1 Napoli (07/04; Serie A)
Key absences
Juventus: None
Lazio: Andre Dias; Miroslav Klose; Senad Lulic; Marius Stankevicius
Players to watch
Juventus – Arturo Vidal: The Chilean has become a key player for La Vecchia Signora ever since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen last summer. His blossoming partnership with Andrea Pirlo has been one of the reasons behind Juve’s surge this season.
Lazio – Hernanes: After a mediocre performance against Napoli, the Brazilian midfielder will be hoping to get back to form with a good display against Juventus. Realising full well the potential of his opponents, he will need to dominate the midfield should his side want to win this one.
Match Prediction
The absence of Miroslav Klose up front depletes the Biancoceleste’s attacking power, while Juventus have a fit squad to choose from. The Bianconeri are in the driving seat at the moment, and their results have been impressive, especially at home, where they are yet to lose. The Juventus Stadium is likely to remain a bastion against Lazio as well. Juventus 2-0 Lazio.
Juventus v Lazio could be crucial for the Serie A title race. Who will you bet on? Make sure you visit OLBG for tips and to compare the current odds and betting markets available at all the important bookmakers.
