In the first game of a potentially decisive double-header with Juventus, mid-table Lazio aim to make a fresh start under new management, as two fallen giants clash at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
Defeats to Juve in league and cup over the next few days would all but end the Biancocelesti's season, while the visitors are enduring one of their worst streaks since rejoining Serie A in 2007.
Match preview
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After former manager Maurizio Sarri resigned on the back of a four-game losing run, which included an aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League's last 16, Lazio were left in disarray.
Citing a loss of backing from his players, Sarri stepped down and his assistant Giovanni Martusciello occupied the dugout at Stadio Stirpe for a 3-2 win over Frosinone just before the international break.
Although Lazio ended that worrying streak of defeats, as Taty Castellanos struck twice away to their regional rivals, the capital club have lost their last three home matches in Serie A; indeed, they have picked up only half of the available points at Stadio Olimpico so far this season.
Martusciello has now made way for Croatian coach Igor Tudor, who will be tasked with turning that dire form around, and entertainment should be on the agenda during his time in Rome: when last employed in Serie A, only Inter, Lazio and Napoli scored more goals than his Hellas Verona side.
He returns to Italy with Lazio languishing in ninth place in the table, eight points adrift of arch-rivals Roma in fifth.
Tudor's first game in charge fittingly comes against Juventus, whom he represented for almost a decade during his playing days before briefly serving on their coaching staff under Andrea Pirlo. Then, three days later comes a Coppa Italia clash between the two clubs in Turin.
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Before trying to gain a first-leg advantage in the cup semi-finals, Juventus will aim to do the league double over Lazio for the first time in five years, following their 3-1 success in September's reverse fixture.
However, wins have been thin on the ground for Max Allegri's men over the past couple of months, during which time their Scudetto hopes sunk like a stone and a previously rich seam of goals suddenly dried up.
Since the end of January, Juve have taken a mere seven points from eight matches, and only Serie A's bottom three - Salernitana, Frosinone and Sassuolo - have accrued fewer over the same period.
Having overseen the club's worst such run for 13 years, Allegri is facing fresh calls to depart this summer, but he may believe that claiming the Coppa and overtaking AC Milan for second place remain achievable goals between now and the end of May.
Draws against Atalanta BC and Genoa in their two most recent matches saw Juve lose their grip on second spot in the standings, but holding the Grifone goalless at least posted a first clean sheet for several weeks.
Now, two crucial contests with Lazio await before a home game against Fiorentina precedes next month's Turin derby, so frustrated fans of the Bianconeri can hope that the international break has helped reset Allegri's ailing side.
Team News
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With no time for sentiment, given Lazio's current situation, Igor Tudor is set to scrap Maurizio Sarri's ingrained 4-3-3 system on Saturday, when the hosts are more likely to line up in their new manager's favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.
That could see Mario Gila called into a flat back three, but there would remain only one space for a centre-forward: enduring a tough season, during which he has been dropped for Mateo Retegui as Italy's first-choice striker, Ciro Immobile is still his club's leading scorer, but only on six Serie A goals; Taty Castellanos has netted just four but did bag a brace last time out.
Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel is still sidelined by an ankle injury, so Christos Mandas keeps the gloves; midfielder Nicolo Rovella may miss a meeting with his parent club because of a groin problem, while Juve-owned Luca Pellegrini is suspended.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Arkadiusz Milik (adductor) and Carlos Alcaraz (hamstring) due to injury, but their most notable absentee is Dusan Vlahovic, who has scored 15 league goals this term to sit second in the Capocannoniere rankings.
The Serbian striker was sent off during second-half stoppage time against Genoa so must serve a suspension, and with Milik unavailable, misfiring forward Moise Kean could be called upon to partner Federico Chiesa or Kenan Yildiz at Stadio Olimpico.
Yet to score in 14 Serie A appearances so far this season, Kean has not found the net in his last 18 league games, which is the longest goal drought endured by any Juve striker for more than 20 years.
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Mandas; Gila, Romagnoli, Casale; Lazzari, Guendouzi, Cataldi, Marusic; Alberto, Zaccagni; Immobile
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Kean
We say: Lazio 0-1 Juventus
It may take time to make the transition from Sarri-ball to Tudor's tactics, so Lazio are set to suffer another defeat this weekend. Ahead of their next meeting on Tuesday, these sides will most likely play out a cagey affair, with Juve reverting to type and grinding out the win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
