Lazio 1-2 Juventus
Juventus strengthened its grip on another Serie A title with victory at the Stadio Olimpico tonight, but Lazio fans will claim it was daylight robbery!
And with some justification as the hosts looked like the only team trying to score, until a late wake-up call roused the champions. Cristiano Ronaldo scored an 87th minute penalty to break Roman hearts.
Simone Inzaghi finds his team in a scramble for the fourth Champions League spot, and this was a serious setback. The Serie A 2019 betting odds suggest Lazio is in a four way battle for that fourth place and with Milan, in particular, working up some momentum, Inzaghi’s men need to keep their feet on the throttle.
Highlights of the game
Roared on by a passionate crowd at the Stadio Olimpico Lazio had the better of the opening half. Wallace had the first attempt on goal, getting on the end of a Luis Alberto corner but directed his header just wide of the left hand post. The hosts were buzzing around in Juve’s half and visiting keeper Wojciech Szczensny had to be alert when Ciro Immobile passed to Joaquin Correa and the Argentine’s shot flew towards the bottom corner, but he was equal to it.
Correa was in the middle of most of the action and he fed Luis Alberto who had his own shot well saved by Szczesny, and then when Lucas Leiva passed to Correa his effort from outside the box was charged down. Juve seemed happy to sit back and soak up the pressure but they were nearly punished by Immobile who just missed with his effort from a tight angle.
It had been a stunning first half, only for the fact that Thomas Strakosha in the Lazio net had not one job to do as the runaway league leaders failed to register a single shot, neither on, nor off target. Inzaghi’s biggest problem during his tenure at Lazio has been his side’s inability to close out wins against top opposition and after the Bianconeri had sat back and let his team take aim, he must have feared the worst.
His side came out for the second half in the same spirit though, Luis Alberto coming close with a long range effort and then, on 54 minutes, Juve had its first attempt on goal when Alex Sandro passed to Rodrigo Bentacur and he let fly but saw his shot charged down.
Juventus midfielder Emre Can did hit the target though, but at the wrong end as he put through his own net on 59 minutes to give Lazio a deserved lead.
Immobile and Alberto both had good attempts to try to put the game beyond the league leaders and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic came close; but the Old Lady was finally awakened. Captain Paulo Dybala had a pot shot and then, after threatening little for well over an hour Juventus was level, Joao Cancelo firing low into the bottom corner.
Bentancur tired to put Cristiano Ronaldo through on goal but the striker was offside and then, with three minutes left on the clock, the cruel blow landed on the hosts. Stefan Radu fouled goal scorer Cancelo in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Ronaldo, and with his first real shot of the game smashed the ball high into the net down the centre.
That’s how you win league titles.
Key statistics
The first half of the game was a spectacle indeed. Juventus, by far the best side in the league, had more possession; but while Lazio had nine shots, five of which were on target, the Old Lady registered precisely zero…nil!
By the final whistle the shot count was at 16 to six, six the three on target, but there’s only one statistic that either coach will care about…Lazio 1 Juve 2.
The last time Juventus went unbeaten throughout a season was 2011 and on this evidence they seem to have the grit needed to do it again.
Ronaldo will have to work hard to become the Capocannoniere in his first season in Serie A. He has a few miles on his clock at 33 years old but Sampdoria’s 35 year old striker Fabio Quagliarella is leading the top scorers list with 16 goals, one more than Juve’s star, having scored a double at home to Udinese yesterday.
What’s next?
The Serie A 2019 updates showed a goalless draw in yesterday’s big match between Milan and Napoli was a good result for both Lazio and Juventus, and the league leaders have profited.
Next, the Bianconeri is away to Atalanta in a Coppa Italia quarter final before entertaining Parma in a league match next weekend. That looks like a regulation home win, but take a look at the SBOBET odds to find the best Asian Handicap Betting value.
Lazio is away to Inter Milan in the Coppa and then visits relegation threatened Frosinone in Serie A in a must win game.
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