Serie A: Can Lazio Keep the Title Race Alive?

Juventus vs Lazio

Four weeks is a long time in football.

Before the return to action in Serie A, we pitched Juventus vs Lazio as a potential title decider. Simone Inzaghi’s team was breathing down Juve’s neck and was on a superb run, while I Bianconeri was grinding out results with steely determination.

But over the last few games, Lazio have been a shadow of the side which matched Juve stride for stride.

Meanwhile, the Old Lady seemed to be strolling towards the Scudetto. But two points from three games have given a glimmer of hope to the chasing pack.

I Biancoceleste needs a result to turn the tide and is trying to make it three wins in a row against their hosts, but the Juventus vs Lazio betting odds don’t hold out much hope for them!

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Talking Points

Old Lady stuttering

Juventus should have had the title pretty much done and dusted by now, but no wins from three games have left the door lightly open for Inter Milan or the in-form Atalanta to earn a shock title. The lead is six points and with five games to play there is still work to do.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo’s 90^th minute penalty saved I Bianconeri from defeat against the impressive Atalanta recently, but his run of scoring ended when his side was held to a 3-3 draw at Sassuolo last Wednesday.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta are in scintillating form, destroying Brescia 6-2 on Tuesday, and if Juve are to struggle against Lazio then La Dea could be the one to profit.

Juventus are sitting at the top of Serie A table and 8 points ahead of Lazio — Gonzalo Higuain scores their second goal against Sassuolo

Maurizio Sarri can’t afford to rest players but there may be a start for Gonzalo Higuain, who was on target against Sassuolo, while Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado could return from suspension.

Lazio’s implosion

Simone Inzaghi must be wondering what has happened to his team since the return after the COVID 19 break.

Losing to Atalanta in the first game back was a blow to his players after they led by two goals, but they responded well with back-to-back victories over Fiorentina and Torino. Since that triumph in Turin at the end of June, the wheels have fallen off.

The low point came during a defeat to relegation threatened Lecce, when defender Patric was red carded for biting Lecce’s Guilo Donati. That moment of madness is likely to earn the Spaniard a lengthy ban and that compounds Inzaghi’s problems, which have mounted since the return to action.

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, I Biancoceleste was just a point behind Juventus and was on a record unbeaten run of 21 games, but four defeats since the return has stretched the gap to eight points.

Lazio ended a run of three defeats with a rather underwhelming 0-0 draw at Udinese, but it’s a start. Inzaghi had keeper Thomas Strakosha to thank for a fine display and the post, which denied Rodrigo De Paul an injury time winner.

The Romans’ boss must be so frustrated. A year ago, his team was eighth with 52 points but they are now fourth with 69, but it could have been so much better.

Serie A hot shots come face–to–face

Ronaldo has made up ground on Lazio’s Ciro Immobile in the race for the 2019/20 Capocannoniere. He has reached 28 goals, eight more than Inter’s Romelu Lukaku and just one behind Lazio’s Immobile.

I Biancoceleste’s hit man has had a phenomenal season also making eight assists. But since the return to action, Ronaldo has scored seven goals to the Italian’s four.

History

Juve have won twice as many of the head-to-head Juventus vs Lazio results as their opponents at 34 to 17.

Lazio have come out on top in the last two meetings, winning 3-1 in December thanks to goals from Luiz Felipe, Serge Milinkovic-Savic and Felipe Caicedo, and by the same score line in the Supercoppa recently.

But to make it three from three against a side which has won 20 of the last 24 at the Allianz Arena and lost just once at home in the last 12 months is a big ask.

Betting Tip

	Juventus vs Lazio	Juventus Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.88
	July 21, 03:45 (GMT+8)

The latest SBOBET odds offer Juventus at 1.65 to win, the draw at 3.95 and Lazio the long shot at 4.70.

And while, if this game had been played in April I would have fancied the visitors, I can’t see anything other than a Juventus victory.

The Old Lady has stumbled a little recently, but Lazio seem to have lost all sense of hope and thrown away the biggest chance to win the Scudetto they have had in years.

For an outside bet, a score of 2-0 to Juve at odds of 8.50 would close the door on Inzaghi’s team.