Lazio 0-2 Juventus

Scorers: Gentiletti og 7 (J), Dybala 32 (J)

Serie A Week 15 –  Friday, 4th December- 19:45 GMT – Stadio Olimpico

Paulo Dybala scored a contendor for goal of the season as Juve beat Lazio 2-0 to continue their climb of the Serie A table.

Confidence is flowing through the ranks ever more vigorously with each victory. Our last five fixtures have seen us win five, concede once, score ten. It comes as no surprise that this upturn in form comes with key players returning from injury but also the re-emergence of the tried and tested 3-5-2. The defence has regained its resolute tightness. We are conceding barely any clear cut chances to opponents with Chellini, Barzagli and Lichsteiner concreting the defensive blockade. Sandro is offering a potent threat going forward when deployed and I add my voice to the chorus demanding that he start more games in place of the dependable, but less useful in the final third Evra. Bonucci can still improve, and will do in time, or perhaps Rugani will find himself given a chance. Still, with clean sheets suddenly becoming the norm, I highly doubt Allegri will make any changes to the stunningly sturdy BBC routine.

We are finally beginning to look like a team. And there are many positives to outweigh the only negative, though the latter must be mentioned.

Other than the goals, one of which was fortunate, the other a moment of sublime genius, we created next to nothing. Dybala roaming often quite deep to find the ball led to a body removed from the the final third, which wasn’t covered by the midfield. Mainly it was Sandro pushing up to make up numbers and offer support. This will be cured with Pogba back in the side and also with the return of Khedira, for the German presence will allow Marchisio more opportunity to bomb forward. Still, it must be mentioned that we were lacking creativity in the final third.

The positives are plentiful…

Dybala, Mandzukic, Sandro, Barzagli, Chiellini and Lichsteiner are all hitting decent form. The others are regaining fitness and finesse. We are winning games, deservedly, and affording our opponents barely any clear cut chances. Harrying the opposition in numbers, winning most of the 50/50 balls and dominating in the air. Locking down the defence whilst developing play up the field with intelligence and flair. The grinta is rising from the ashes of last year’s side. And whilst we remain, if those above fare well over the weekend, still outside the bothersome clique of front runners, in our favour is that we are recovering Asamoah, and also have Khedira and Pereyra to bring back into the fray in the near future.

Allegri deserves credit for both weathering the storm and bringing through the newcomers at a steady pace, despite the horrid spate of injuries we have suffered earlier this season. Also, his decision to apply Dybala in a new role for the player is beginning to pay dividends. Its remarkable, but a sign of the fickle nature of especially the younger supporters, that only a matter of weeks back, many were calling for Allegri to be replaced. You don’t win the double domestically and reach the champions league final by luck alone…

This team has the potential to be much better than we have yet seen. For despite the victories, of late, we are winning without truly dominating any way other than defensively. There is more to come. And if we can avoid any further injuries to key players, continue to climb up from hanging on to the coat tails of those above us, I am beginning to smile and ponder…that we really could have a serious chance of challenging for the title.

Lazio are in a bad way. As can be said of Palermo who we crunched last weekend, yet we can only beat what is put in front of us.

Winning breeds a winning mentality. Which is especially important when forced to deploy younger players absent of the experience of the stalwarts. I can see our winning mentality growing. The players are no longer turning out with tentative mind-set; they are now expecting to win. Which translates to the performances as well as to the opponents erosion of confidence.

The next two games will offer far tougher tests of our credentials, both in Europe and at home. Seville are out of the reckoning for progression from the group stage of the champions league, but remain stern opposition. A draw will keep us in first place in the group thus avoiding the likes of Real Madrid, Barca and Munich in the knockout phase. And then…a huge match at home against Fiorentina. Emerge from those matches with a draw (or better) in Spain and a victory against Sousa’s Florence side and our shared dreams of a return to greatness will be drawn much closer to reality.

Its encouraging to see the birth pains of a new side drifting away into the horizon of the past and definite signs of a new beast emerging in the present.

 Statistics:

Man of the Match: Paulo Dybala

  Flop of the Match: N/A

  Corners: 1

  Pass Accuracy: 71%

  Shots on Target: 1

  Total Shots: 7

  Ball Possession: 71%

  Formation:  3-5-2

 Formation:

Lineups:

Lazio: Marchetti; Basta, Mauricio, Gentiletti, Radu; Biglia, Parolo; Candreva (Felipe Anderson 46), Milinkovic-Savic (Matri 69), Kishna (Keita 46); Klose

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Marchisio, Asamoah (Evra 69), Alex Sandro; Mandzukic (Morata 82), Dybala (Cuadrado 80)

Ref: Banti

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