06 March 2021
Juventus came back from a goal behind to claim a 3-1 victory against Lazio at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening. Adrien Rabiot scored a rocket, while Alvaro Morata’s two goals in two minutes secured the three points.
Andrea Pirlo was able to welcome the return of Juan Cuadrado, Arthur and Bonucci, but had to make do without Matthijs de Ligt, Chiellini, Dybala, Frabotta and Rodrigo Bentancur, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
CORREA AND RABIOT MAKE IT EVEN
Lazio were the first to threaten at goal when Fares, who caught Cuadrado off guard, burst forward and blazed his effort over the bar. Milinkovic-Savic was next to threaten at goal when his curling free-kick swooped just wide of the target. Their quick pressing paid off as they took the lead with only 14 minutes on the clock: Correa pounced on Kulusevski’s misplaced past, surged forward and fired into the back of the net. Juve’s first real chance of the half saw Morata flash his header just wide of the post, before Rabiot then found the equaliser in the 39th minute in stunning fashion. He went down the left, saw Reina off his line and blasted a left-footed rocket into the top corner from a tight angle. The half concluded with Fares firing a dangerous effort at goal, but it sailed inches wide.
CHANCES AT BOTH ENDS
Into the second half and it was Juventus who grabbed the first chance of the 45: Chiesa pulled off the most beautiful move by slaloming through the Lazio defence, but the final effort of his twist and turns were palmed away by Reina at the near post. Lazio then came close to scoring not once but twice: Szczesny pulled off a great save to deny Correa, before then seeing Milinkovic-Savic’s header turn onto the bar.
#MOREMORATA
The Bianconeri then turned the game around with two Morata goals in the space of two minutes. The first came when Juventus broke on the counterattack, Chiesa placed the pass perfectly to Morata, who smashed it into the top corner from 12 yards. The Spaniard then grabbed his second goal from the penalty spot after Ramsey was brought down in the box by Milinkovic-Savic, as he sent Reina the wrong way. Lazio went in search of trying to cut the deficit through Correa, who prodded his finish just wide, while Fares blasted a ferocious effort against the side-netting in what was the final chance of the game.
Juventus XI: Szczesny; Cuadrado (Arthur 69’), Danilo, Demiral, Alex Sandro; Chiesa (Chiesa 82’), Rabiot, Ramsey (McKennie 69’), Bernardeschi; Kulusevski (Di Pardo 92’), Morata (Ronaldo 69’)
Subs: Buffon, Pinsoglio, Bonucci, Dragusin, De Marino, Arthur, McKennie, Di Pardo, Fagioli, Peeters, Ake, Ronaldo
Lazio: Reina; Marusic, Hoedt, Acerbi; Lulic, Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva, Luis Alberto, Fares; Correa, Immobile
