Lazio vs Juventus Preview

The Serie A top four race has reached near boiling point, and the drama will continue on Saturday when Lazio host Juventus in the knowledge that the winner will put themselves in pole position to qualify for Europe’s premier continental competition next season.

Both sides sit on 63 points, with sixth placed Lazio separated from Juventus by Roma in fifth, while Bologna sit one point behind the trio. Lazio sit behind Juventus thanks to inferior goal difference, although they have scored six more goals than this weekend's opponents.

Meanwhile Juventus, who have suffered a joint league low of four defeats this season, know that victory here would all but seal a top four spot, with bottom half sides Udinese and Venezia their remaining fixtures following the Lazio game.

As the game approaches, here is everything you need to know about both sides ahead of kick-off.

Where to Watch

This game is set to be shown on OneFootball, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00pm GMT.

Key Statistics

• Lazio are currently on a six match unbeaten streak in the league, winning four of them.
• However, their home form has been poor. They have won just seven times at the Stadio Olimpico, compared to eleven away from home.
• Juventus have only managed four wins since February, with these coming against teams ranked 13th or lower.
• None of the last eight meetings between these two sides have ended level.

Lazio Preview

Lazio Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Christos Mandas (GK); Luca Pellegrini, Alessio Romagnoli, Samuel Gigot, Adam Marusic; Nicolo Ravella, Matteo Guendouzi; Mattia Zacagni, Boulaye Dia, Gustav Isaksen; Valentin Castellanos.

Lazio have hit some form at just the right time - six games without defeat is an absolutely priceless streak, and could be the difference between Champions League football, and Europa or Conference League competition next campaign.

Since their last defeat, they haven’t necessarily improved their output in front of goal, nor have they improved defensively. The factor behind their recent good run appears to be improved consistency, and a growing ability to see games out.

They have managed three clean sheet victories by narrow margins, and two of their three draws in that time saw them lose a lead but cling onto a point. If they can bring that fighting spirit to this clash, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t jump above Juventus into fifth.

Juventus Preview

Juventus Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Pierre Kalulu, Renato Veiga, Nicolo Savona; Samuel Mbangula, Kephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Timothy Weah; Nicolas Gonzalez, Weston McKennie; Randal Kolo Muani.

When Tiago Motta was sacked in March, many thought it would be a turning point for Juventus. Since Igor Tudor was brought in as his replacement, recent form has taken something of an upturn.

However, it is the long term form that has been the worry for the Old Lady. While they won three, drawn two and lost one of their last six, they won just two of the previous six before that, equating to five wins, two draws and five wins in that time. This is certainly not the form that would be expected of Champions League competitors.

However, these results can be mitigated somewhat due to an extensive injury list - Kenan Yildiz, Dusan Vlahvoic, Bremer, Teun Koopmeiners, and a host of other key players are missing through various knocks. With a throw-together starting eleven going into this game, Juventus are certainly not the favourites.

Lazio vs Juventus Head to Head

Recent Meetings:

• 19/10/2024: Juventus 1-0 Lazio.
• 23/04/2024: Lazio 2-1 Juventus.
• 02/04/2024: Juventus 2-0 Lazio.
• 30/03/2024: Lazio 1-0 Juventus.
• 16/09/2023: Juventus 3-1 Lazio.

Lazio vs Juventus Betting Tip

The importance of this game for both sides cannot be understated. The winner will vault themselves into the position of favourites for Champions League football, while the loser will suddenly find themselves fighting for a Conference League spot.

With that being said, this game has the potential to be cagey, and slow to open up. Our bet is that at half time, both sides will be level, likely at 0-0, and the second is when the excitement will begin.

Lazio vs Juventus Prediction

Lazio 2-0 Juventus

After a stiff half time talk by both managers, Lazio’s excellent recent form will come into play, and they will punish Juventus’ lack of creativity with two second half goals.