Juventus didn’t manage it, Lazio managed it alone: at the Allianz Stadium in Turin the Bianconeri prevailed thanks to an own goal by Mario Gila after 86 minutes. However, a deserved victory for coach Thiago Motta, who returns to success in the championship after having besieged the Lazio by Baroni for large stretches of the match. The match was inevitably conditioned by Romagnoli’s expulsion in the 24th minute.
Few opportunities, but the red card to Romagnoli changes the game
All confirmed at the formation level, both on one side and the other, with the presence of Guendouzi from the 1st minute despite the blow to the foot suffered in the national team last Monday. The first jolt of the match came from a Frenchman, his compatriot Khephren Thuram, who in the 7th minute entered the area from the left and attempted a dangerous pass into the middle, hitting the post after Mario Gila’s deflection. Then Guendouzi himself, on the opposite side, warmed up Di Gregorio’s gloves with a shot too central in the 21st minute. The balance of the match was broken one or two minutes later: a blitz by Kalulu, who was knocked out by Romagnoli and thrown into the net on the edge of the penalty area. The subsequent free kick is kicked out by Vlahovic, but a direct red card arrives for the Biancoceleste and also the first forced substitution for Mister Baroni. Attacker Dia comes out, defender Patric comes in in the 27th minute. At the end of the first half, to be precise in the 43rd minute, there is still room for Gatti’s strike on Cambiaso’s cross from the left: the ball goes high over the crossbar and the teams go to the locker rooms.
Juve tries in every way, then Mario Gila takes care of it
The second half was a real Juventus siege. If it is true that Savona’s error in the 47th minute almost gave Lazio an unexpected goal (Locatelli did well to close on Castellanos), from then on Juve locked the Biancocelesti in their own half of the pitch and tried to really score in all ways. Vlahovic hit the crossbar in the 57th minute, with Provedel beaten, then Douglas Luiz headed wide from substitute Weah’s cross from the right in the 59th minute. Vlahovic again challenges Provedel in the dive with a poisonous left foot in the 81st minute, before Fagioli does the same with a shot from outside in the 84th minute. Lazio’s goal seems haunted, but the home team’s effort is rewarded in the 86th minute: Cabal goes up the left for the umpteenth time and puts it in the middle of the area. The Biancoceleste defender Mario Gila gets there before everyone but misses badly, sending the ball behind the blameless Provedel for the 1-0 own goal that decides the match. These are three fundamental points, for the performance, for morale and for the ranking (first place with Napoli), from a Juventus perspective.
Re-read the TMW live broadcast of Juve-Lazio here!