Juventus vs Lazio preview - Lazio target Juve scalp

Posted Friday, April 17, 2015 by PA

Lazio will take aim at a club-record ninth consecutive Serie A win when they square off against Juventus in Turin on Saturday night.

The hottest team in Italy, Lazio, have climbed into second place in Serie A and will now look to make history but to do so they will have to beat the three-time defending champions.

Juve are unbeaten at home in the league this season and are 12 points ahead of Lazio with eight games remaining in Italy's top flight.

The two sides will also meet in the Coppa Italia final on June 7 in Rome.

"There are eight rounds to go and the Coppa Italia final," Lazio coach Stefano Pioli said to the Italian press. "I keep telling my players we must get the maximum of our potential, but we don't know what that is yet.

"If the campaign ended now, then we could celebrate, but it doesn't and therefore we have to remain focused.

"This streak means something, but we only got here by taking it one game at a time and we must not let go of that approach until the end of the season."

Lazio have looked unbeatable of late, scoring 18 goals and conceding just once in their last six league games.

"They are having a great year," Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "They are a direct rival for the Scudetto.

"Lazio and Roma can still overtake us in the standings.

"I don't think the Scudetto will be decided until our game at Sampdoria (May 2).

"There's no room for distractions."

The clash with Lazio comes at the start of a challenging week for Juve, who fell to just their second defeat of the campaign last weekend in a major upset at bottom-side Parma.

Allegri's team travels to Monte Carlo on Tuesday for the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco holding a 1-0 advantage.

The Bianconeri will then take on Torino four days later in the Turin derby.

The hosts are without suspended defender Angelo Ogbonna and injured midfielder Paul Pogba.

Pioli faces a defensive dilemma with Diego Novaretti and Luis Cavanda both suspended while Stefan De Vrij, Stefan Radu and Abdoulay Konko are all unavailable through injury.