Juventus may transfer inside a degree of the European qualifying locations on Saturday, lower than three months after a 15-point deduction despatched it into mid-table, however its comeback run faces its stiffest take a look at but away to second-placed Lazio.
Juve started an unbeaten streak of seven video games in all competitions shortly after being handed the punishment associated to the membership’s switch dealings, beginning by eliminating Lazio within the Coppa Italia quarterfinals in early February.
After shedding away to AS Roma at the start of March, the Turin membership launched into a run of 5 wins in all competitions.
“To arrive in April and be in all competitions, even if we’re out of the Champions League, is important,” coach Massimiliano Allegri stated on Tuesday after a 1-1 first-leg draw at dwelling to Inter Milan within the Coppa Italia semifinals.
“If we’re good, we’ll go and play for the Europa League. Otherwise, it will mean that Sporting was stronger. For a club it’s important to achieve qualification for the next Champions League”.
With that purpose seeming extra achievable by profitable Europe’s second-tier competitors, the first-leg of its quarterfinal at dwelling to Sporting on April 13 has added significance. Juve obtained previous Nantes and Freiburg whereas conceding simply as soon as.
Their midfield and defence may get a lift on Saturday from the returning Paul Pogba and Leonardo Bonucci respectively, who educated with the squad on Wednesday and Thursday, Italian media reported, and might be out there in opposition to Lazio.
The Rome facet can be glad with a kind that has put them on 55 factors, 16 adrift of chief Napoli. A win in opposition to Juve may enhance the hole over AC Milan in third to seven factors.
Although Maurizio Sarri’s facet was knocked out of the Europa Conference League by AZ Alkmaar within the final 16, it has been on a run of six Serie A video games with out conceding a purpose, securing a win in 5 of them.
If it manages yet another clear sheet it can equal the membership’s longest such run within the competitors which got here between February and March 1998 underneath Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Lazio will take coronary heart from having one of the best Serie A defence thus far this season, with 19 objectives after 28 video games, because it tries to beat Juve for the primary time since December 2019.
Fourth-placed Inter Milan will look to return to profitable methods after 5 video games with no win in all competitions after they journey to lowly Salernitana on Friday.
Simone Inzaghi’s facet has 50 factors, one level behind rival Milan which hosts Empoli on the identical day.
Napoli, nonetheless recovering from its shock 4-0 dwelling thrashing by Milan final week, on Friday visits Lecce, which has slipped to sixteenth following its shedding run of 5 video games.
