Lazio 1-2 Juventus: Cristiano Ronaldo steals win in Rome
A late Cristiano Ronaldo penalty gave Juventus another win and an 11-point lead at the top of Serie A. But Lazio will rue many missed chances.
Lazio vs Juventus: match report
Football is not always fair. That has to be the message that manager Simone Inzaghi gives to his players after a game in which Lazio dominated in almost every area, included numerous chances created in both halves. The statistic that mattered, as always, confirmed another league victory for Juventus (19 in 21), the continuation of their unbeaten run, and now an 11-point lead at the top of Serie A. No one is catching them now.
Here's how it all panned out on the night...
Lazio vs Juventus: live commentary
Lazio vs Juventus: match preview
As we reach the end of January, it already feels like a procession towards an eighth consecutive Serie A title for Juventus. Eight points clear before this match, after the 'best of the rest' Napoli dropped two points in Milan on Saturday as they failed to score. Scoring has not been a problem for Massimo Allegri's side, and the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer has proved to be a wise decision thus far, the former Real Madrid star scoring 14 goals in the league and assisting five. Not bad for a man who turns 34 in just over a week's time.
Simone Inzaghi will know that a point, even considering it is a home match, is a very decent scoreline, and keeps his side in the mix for the European spots. Although not collecting many wins of late (just two in the last nine outings) the positive news to focus on is that they have not been easy to beat. Those two wins came in their last five, and with the chance to end Juve's unbeaten season, the players will be champing at the bit.
Lazio team news
After seeing red against Napoli, Francesco Acerbi will be a sore loss to Inzaghi in defence. He'll also be without Luiz Felipe (injury) and Adam Marusic (suspension). This is likely to mean a starting role for Wallace and Bastos at the back while Patric will be used from the right. As has been the case for much of the season, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will have many an eye on him, with fans of the Rome club desparate to see him fulfill the expectation. Luis Alberto and Ciro Immobile will lead the line.
Juventus team news
Andrea Barzagli, Juan Cuadrado and Mario Mandzukic are all out injured for Allegri, and there are a number of other players recovering from knocks that will likely not be risked. Wojciech Szczeszny could well sit this one out again with Mattia Perin getting the nod for the third consecutive league game, and Emre Can should come in as holding midfielder with Pjanic out. A frontline of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa should be licking its collective lips at this weakened Lazio back four.