Juventus close out Sunday’s Serie A fixtures with the evening showdown against Lazio at the Allianz Stadium. Luciano Spalletti’s side return to the pitch after their bitter Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Atalanta, while Maurizio Sarri’s visitors arrive buoyed by a 3–2 win over Genoa.
It’s an important clash for both the standings and team morale, with a few selection doubts still to be resolved on each bench.
Around three and a half months ago, Lazio edged the reverse fixture 1–0 at the Stadio Olimpico — a result that marked the end of Igor Tudor’s brief stint as Juventus coach. Now, with Spalletti at the helm, the landscape has changed, but the stakes remain every bit as high.
Line-up Decisions and Injury Updates
Spalletti still has a few uncertainties to manage, particularly in defence and the attacking midfield area. The fitness of Kelly will be assessed closer to kick-off; if he fails to recover, Koopmeiners is expected to drop into the back line.
Up front, there’s the usual selection tussle between Jonathan David and Loïs Openda, with the Canadian currently the favourite to start. Federico Conceição’s condition will also be monitored — should he miss out, Weston McKennie could move into a more advanced position. Youngster Kenan Yildiz, who suffered minor fatigue in Parma, is expected to feature from the start.
Lazio, meanwhile, must cope without Mattia Zaccagni and the suspended Luca Pellegrini. Nuno Tavares will take over on the left flank, while Pedro looks set to start upfront with Daniel Maldini likely to operate as a false nine. Alessio Romagnoli is ready to return to the starting XI after missing the previous match.
Probable Juventus Line-up (4-2-3-1)
Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Koopmeiners, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; McKennie, Miretti, Yildiz; David.
Probable Lazio Line-Up (4-3-3)
Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares; Taylor, Cataldi, Basic; Isaksen, Maldini, Pedro.
