On-song Old Lady looking to hit the higher notes
SERIE A leaders Juventus brace for a city derby against troubled, and therefore dangerous, Torino tomorrow, while chasers Lazio go without key strikers against AC Milan.
Summer heat, an inevitable issue as the league was delayed for more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, should give the Turin sides a break as they meet at 5.15pm at the Allianz Stadium, where rain is foreseen in the morning. The intense 12-round schedule that began on June 22, however, provides for cooling breaks during games and five substitutions are allowed instead of three.
Meanwhile, Juve’s state-of-the-art ground and all other facilities remain off-limits to fans, who hope for limited access before the league ends in early August as contagion keeps dwindling in the country.
The Bianconeri go into the derby with a four-point lead on Lazio, which they conserved on Tuesday by beating Genoa 3-1 through stellar drives from Paulo Dybala, Cristiano
Ronaldo and super-sub Douglas Costa.
“The team did well, the ball was travelling fast,” Juve boss Maurizio Sarri said. “We often found ourselves shooting at goal without conceding anything, and in this good team performance, three beautiful goals were scored.
“After the disappointment of the Italian Cup [lost on penalties to Napoli on June 17] we recovered very well, but it was only a matter of physical condition.”
Il Toro, meanwhile, sit in the lower reaches with a six-point buffer to the three-team drop zone after losing 2-1 against Lazio.
In Turin, the Romans clinched a second straight come-from-behind win, but will have Ciro Immobile, the 29-goal league’s best scorer, and Felipe Caicedo suspended late Saturday against Milan for accumulation of yellow cards.
“This has been a difficult period for all teams. There is mental tiredness because we play every three days,” Lazio defender Stefan Radu said. “Gradually we will recover our form and you will see a better Lazio.
“Saturday against Milan we will miss many players. Beside the suspended, others will be out with injury. We hope to have some back, because we will need them.”
Sunday action also opens at 5.15pm for Inter Milan and Bologna before fourth-place Atalanta take on Cagliari.