File picture of Juventus’ French midfielder Paul Pogba (centre) taking part in a training session on the eve of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
DPA/Rome
Serie A champions Juventus and Lazio square off to lift the Italian Cup Wednesday in Rome as both sides gear up for an intense season finale.
The Bianconeri from Turin secured their fourth consecutive scudetto four games before the end of a domestic league where Lazio, with two games to go, are battling for a berth in the next Champions League.
Juve have unexpectedly clinched a place in this season’s final of Europe’s top club competition, where they will tackle Spanish champions Barcelona in Berlin on June 6. The Bianconeri qualified by eliminating holders Real Madrid, which caused the Italian Cup final to be moved from its original June 7 date.
Juve will go to Berlin as underdogs, but are favourites in the Italian final against their Rome rivals, who have the advantage of playing at the Stadio Olimpico, where the cup is traditionally awarded.
The Bianconeri beat Lazio in both clashes of the current league season, winning 3-0 in Rome and 2-0 in Turin, and showed great focus at the weekend, rallying, with seven substitutes on the pitch, to win 2-1 at Inter Milan.
But Lazio also did well at solid Sampdoria, winning 1-0 to stay third, one point from second-place Roma.
“Away, against a great Sampdoria, three heavy points. Now comes the best. Let’s not give up,” captain Stefano Mauri tweeted.
Goalkeeper Federico Marchetti missed the game with suspension and urged the squad to “get what we deserve.”
Marchetti’s encouragement was two-fold, as Lazio chase the cup and second place to get direct access to the next Champions League - the third-placed side face a play-off game and fourth-place finishers have to settle for the Europa League.
A crucial city derby with Roma (67 points) awaits Lazio (66) next weekend, with a season closing game following at Napoli, sitting fourth on 60, but with a game in hand to be played Monday.
Coach Stefano Pioli has Antonio Candreva and Felipe Anderson in form as providers for either veteran Miroslav Klose or the recovering Filip Djordjevic up front.
Defenders Santiago Gentiletti and Stefan de Vrij are also back from injury, while midfielder Lucas Biglia is unavailable.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri looks set to select reserve goalkeeper Marco Storari, who at 38 made a couple of impressive saves against Inter, and again rest ace Gianluigi Buffon.
Morata suspended
Allegri should, however, resort to most of his first-team men, with the exception of the suspended Claudio Marchisio and Alvaro Morata, both on target at the weekend.
“I am sorry that I won’t be able to be there, but it is always like that for me - I am never happy when I don’t play,” said the in-form Morata, who scored two goals against Real Madrid to help Juve oust his former team.
“I am convinced, however, that my team-mates will give it their all to win the cup. (Saturday against Inter) we showed that the team always wants to win, just like the boss tells us. It doesn’t matter who plays.”
