Five Key Battles in Juventus vs Lazio: Can Nuno Tavares Contain McKennie? | OneFootball

This weekend, Lazio travelled to Turin in the hope of completing the double over Juventus, but most sides have undergone comprehensive changes since their last meeting in October.

The result of the reverse fixture in Rome prompted the Bianconeri to wield the axe on Igor Tudor’s tenure, which proved to be the club’s best call in years, as the fruits of Luciano Spalletti’s work are already out in the open.

On the other hand, Maurizio Sarri remains in charge at Formello, but hasn’t been pleased with the changes introduced to his squad. The 67-year-old believes that the club replaced established players with green, unready youngsters.

While the tactical battle between the two Tuscan veterans will be fascinating to watch, the field will also witness thrilling duels between the two sets of players, including the following five.

Andrea Cambiaso vs Gustav Isaksen

Neither Andrea Cambiaso nor Gustav Isaksen has been enjoying his best campaign, so it will be interesting to see how they’ll fare when they go head-to-head on Sunday. The Dane will be looking to build on the improved display he produced against Genoa, but the left-back’s tendency to cut to the middle could confuse him, leaving him without an obvious opponent to mark.

Keep an eye on this aspect.

Khephren Thuram vs Toma Basic

The last time Lazio and Juventus met, Toma Basic emerged as the ultimate hero for the Laziali, scoring the goal that separated the two teams. However, the Croatian’s form has slightly dropped since then, and he hasn’t been helped by his move to the right to accommodate fellow left-footed midfielder Kenneth Taylor.

The 29-year-old will now cross paths with one of the most explosive box-to-box midfielders in Serie A, and it remains to be seen if he’ll have the pace to match the Frenchman’s.

Fabio Miretti vs Danilo Cataldi

Last month, Lazio were linked with a plethora of midfielders, and one of them was Fabio Miretti. The Juventus youth product is expected to start as an attacking midfielder. The 22-year-old isn’t necessarily a creative No.10, but a relentless workhorse capable of exploiting spaces in the pockets. Therefore, it will be up to Danilo Cataldi to block his compatriot’s runs and shut down any spaces between the lines.

Weston McKennie vs Nuno Tavares

This season, Weston McKennie has finally been receiving his flowers. The Texan, who can be effective almost anywhere on the pitch, is expected to replace Fransicso Conceicao on the right wing, while the struggling Nuno Tavares will fill in for the suspended Luca Pellegrini, setting up an interesting battle between one of the most in-form Serie A players and one of the worst flops of the season.

The Portuguese left-back has been shaky at the back, so it will be interesting to see if he can deal with the American’s vigorous pace. Sarri will also expect him to cause problems for Juventus on the counterattack with his blistering runs.

Jonathan David vs Alessio Romagnoli

While Alessio Romagnoli remains irritated with the Lazio hierarchy in the aftermath of the January soap opera, he is expected to make his return to the pitch on Sunday, much to Sarri’s delight. However, the 31-year-old might not be at his best due to a muscle issue that hindered his preparations earlier in the week.

In Turin, the Italian defender’s main task is to stop Jonathan David, a striker who started his campaign on a poor note but is currently enjoying a solid run, in what is arguably one of the most significant battles of the contest.