Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
Best Odds: 17/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
It is undeniable that Saturday’s action in the 2018/19 Serie A season will feature a marquee matchup between the reigning champions, Juventus, and one of the most attacking-minded teams in Europe in Lazio. In what promises to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game at home since joining from Real Madrid, the Serie A champions will go out for the win. But Lazio are not going to make things easy on him, or Juventus as a whole. Who will come out on top?
Juventus
Juventus’ season did not began as expected. Despite winning the opener against Chievo Verona, the reigning Serie A champions should have done a far better job on both ends of the pitch. And while it was clear that Cristiano Ronaldo still does not know his teammates very well, Juventus should have cruised through this game with or without CR7. This Saturday the challenge will be steeper, however, as Lazio were one game away from reaching the UEFA Champions League. Whatever the case might be, Juventus should only worry about what THEY can do given the strength of their roster. They must avoid complacency, but also need to improve massively in comparison to what they did this past Saturday. That kind of effort is not going to be enough against Lazio. Will CR7 and company be up to the task?
Team News
Juventus are almost at full strength heading into this contest.
Mattia de Sciglio (muscle) and Moise Kean (groin) are not available at the moment. Leandro Spinazzola has been the only Juve player that has been ruled out, though.
Lazio
Lazio started the season on the wrong foot, as they wasted away a goal from Ciro Immobile on their 1-2 home defeat against Napoli in the opening week of action. Things won’t get easier for the Biancocelesti, but they have enough weapons to potentially threaten one of the most stout defences all over Europe. In order to win, however, Lazio must have a perfect performance, and that coomes on both sides of the ball. On one hand, they must find a way to deal with the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo. But at the other end, they need to take advantage of the (probably) few scoring chances they will be able to generate. But this will be a good benchmark to see what Lazio can do this season. They already showed some interesting things against Napoli last week. Can they get a better result this time around?
Team News
Lazio could have up to four absentees ahead of this game.
Ricardo Kishna (knee) and Luiz Felipe (calf) have already been ruled out, while Valon Berisha (thigh) and Adam Marusic (ankle) are both injured. Both will require a late-fitness test to determine their availability.
Key Factors to Consider
- Lazio featured the top attacking unit in the 2017/18 Serie A season with 89 goals scored.
- On the other hand, Juventus had the top defence last season with only 24 conceded in 38 games.
- Lazio were also the top scoring side away from home during the 2017/18 SA season with 44 goals in only 19 matches (2.31 per game).
- Edge for Juventus? The Old Lady have won eight of the last 10 meetings against Lazio.
- Lazio won 12 of their 19 away matches in the Serie A last term. Meanwhile, Juventus were the top home side with 16 wins in 19 games.
Conclusion
We have the classical opposite battle here. If we use data from last season, we can see Lazio were the top scoring side in the 2017/18 Serie A, while Juventus featured the best defence. And both sides improved on their respective areas.
If we couple Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence at Juventus with Lazio’s talented attacking line, then we could be in line for a thrilling game. One that will surely feature both teams scoring.
Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
Best Odds: 17/20
Bookmaker: 888sport
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