Lazio showed why they deserve to sit second in the Serie A table with a focused 2-1 win over Juventus.
Massimiliano Allegri referred to this clash as a battle for second, referring to the 15-point deduction handed to the Old Lady back in January which could be overturned on appeal later this month.
The Biancocelesti have quietly emerged as one of the best teams in Italy this season, thanks to their rock-solid defence and unpredictable attack, and Maurizio Sarri’s side showed off these qualities when they hosted the Bianconeri.
Lazio started the match at the Stadio Olimpico in the front foot, but it quickly became clear that Juventus would put up stiff resistance, remaining strong at the back and scaring the home side with their early forward ventures.
Sarri’s side took the lead after 38 minutes thanks to a beautiful ball from Mattia Zaccagni, which was perfectly caught by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who made no mistake as he poked the ball home from a few yards out, putting Lazio 1-0 up.
Unfortunately for the Biancocelesti, they were unable to hold onto their advantage for long, with Juventus striking back just minutes later. After a scramble in the box following a corner, Adrien Rabiot managed to bundle the ball over the line, drawing the Bianconeri level.
The second half kicked off in a tense fashion, with both teams hungry to find all three points, but it was again the home side who took one step forward.
In the 53rd minute, a good run by Felipe Anderson saw him send a low-drilled pass to Luis Alberto in the penalty area, whose beautiful backheel went straight to a waiting Zaccagni, who slotted the ball past Wojciech Szczesny to give Lazio a 2-1 lead.
Juventus tried hard to find an equaliser throughout the remainder of the second half, but Lazio held firm and managed to see out their advantage, securing a vital three points in the race for a Champions League finish.
