Serie A Matchday 29: Lazio meet Juve in mouth-watering match-up

European ambitions are on the line for both Lazio and Juventus ahead of their Matchday 29 meeting in the capital. 

League leaders Napoli will expect to bounce back from a chastening defeat by AC Milan — who host Empoli — as they travel to face out-of-form Lecce. 

Inter Milan must arrest their decline and overcome a stubborn Salernitana side if they are to cling on to their top-four place. 

Roma, meanwhile, will be hoping to capitalise on any slip-ups from the Nerazzurri and leapfrog them into a Champions League place but Torino pose a tricky test for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Game of the weekend: Lazio vs Juventus (Saturday, 7.45pm)

Second-placed Lazio host the team that would occupy their spot in the table — Juventus — were it not for their 15-point deduction. 

As it stands, the Old Lady are clawing their way desperately towards a European place — while their Coppa Italia hopes remain alive after an ill-tempered 1-1 draw with Inter in the first leg of their semi-final clash. 

The hosts are winless in their last seven meetings with the Bianconeri and have won just one of their last 17 Serie A home clashes with these opponents (four draws, 12 defeats).

Both sides boast strong defensive records, however, keeping a joint-division high 17 clean sheets apiece. 

That may make it difficult for Lazio striker Ciro Immobile, who will be keen to improve his disappointing record of one goal every 561 minutes at home in league competition against Juve.

Lecce vs Napoli (Friday, 6pm)

Napoli will surely be keen to put the 4-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of Milan behind them with an emphatic victory of their own against Lecce. 

They will have to do better than they did in the reverse fixture, though that 1-1 draw did at least extend the Partenopei’s record of scoring in each of their last 12 Serie A meetings with the Giallorossi, averaging 1.9 goals per game in that time. 

Off the ball, these two sides share an enthusiasm for pressing — both rank in the division’s top four for high turnovers (264 for Napoli, 234 for Lecce). 

However, in possession, they could hardly be more different. Napoli have recorded the most open play sequences with 10 or more passes in the division (486), while Lecce have the fewest (69).

Salernitana vs Inter Milan (Friday, 4pm)

Inter are dangerously close to slipping out of the top four and they will certainly do so if they do not halt their slide soon. 

Defeat against next opponents Salernitana would mark the first time since 2012 that the Nerazzurri have lost four Serie A games in a row. 

Head coach Simone Inzaghi will surely hope that his star strikers can help deliver a vital win as the manager looks to turn things around. 

Lautaro Martinez has netted five goals in just three league meetings with Salernitana — but Romelu Lukaku has not scored a non-penalty goal in Serie A since August.

AC Milan vs Empoli (Friday, 8pm)

Reigning champions Milan will be buoyed by their 4-0 hammering of runaway league leaders Napoli last time out and will expect to follow that result up with another win, as Empoli visit the San Siro. 

The Rossoneri have won each of their last four league meetings with Empoli, losing just three of their 29 clashes in the competition overall. 

Rafael Leao will hope for a repeat of his scintillating personal display in the reverse fixture, when he both scored and assisted. Should he net again, he would match his best-ever Serie A tally of 11 goals in a single season. 

This game could also feature the three players with the highest distance covered via progressive carries in Fabiano Parisi (3,035m), Theo Hernandez (2,741m) and Leao (2,699m).

Torino vs Roma (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Mourinho’s Roma have their eyes on third place but must overcome Torino to give themselves the best chance of doing so. 

Should the Giallorossi go ahead, it is likely that they will see the game out, having lost the joint-fewest points from leading positions in the division this term (two). 

The visitors have scored the second-most headed goals in the competition (10) and could well add to that tally against the Granata, who have shipped the second-most such strikes (nine). 

Torino will hope that striker Antonio Sanabria — who is the third-highest scorer in the league in 2023 (six) — can maintain his fine form and fire them to a positive result against Mourinho’s men.

The weekend's other games

Udinese vs Monza (Saturday, 11.30am) 

Fiorentina vs Spezia (Saturday, 1.30pm) 

Atalanta vs Bologna (Saturday, 3.30pm) 

Sampdoria vs Cremonese (Saturday, 3.30pm) 

Verona vs Sassuolo (Saturday, 5.30pm)

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