Juventus Looking For Southern Comfort
Copyright � 2000 Nando Media
Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
MILAN (January 27, 2000 9:30 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Juventus will be looking to take their Italian Cup disappointment out on lowly Cagliari this weekend, when Carlo Ancelotti's men defend a three-point lead at the top of the Serie A.
Both teams were in the midweek quarterfinals, but with very different results. Juventus were knocked out by Serie A title rivals Lazio, while the Sardinians caused an upset by dispatching AS Roma.
The only good news for Juventus in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat in Rome was seeing Alessandro Del Piero score his first goal in open play since damaging knee ligaments back in November 1998.
Ancelotti said: "Obviously, we should have been more careful. But we've good reasons for being satisfied - the first of which was confirmation that the players who don't get much opportunity to play are reliable.
"Against Cagliari, we're sure to play well, as we have been recently," he said, a reference to his team's 14-match unbeaten run in the league.
"What's less sure, though, is whether we are going to get a result, because we know just how dangerous it is to play against teams who have their backs to the wall."
Cagliari may be having a fine Cup run, but they are joint-bottom of the table on points and staring relegation in the face.
Where Juventus will turn to French playmaker Zinedine Zidane, currently in sparkling form, Cagliari will look to their inspirational Uruguayan midfielder Fabian O'Neill - Tuesday night's match-winner and, ironically, a player destined for Juventus next season.
Lazio have a tougher match prospect at home against Bari, who held them to a goalless draw earlier in the season.
Well-drilled by coach Eugenio Fascetti and difficult to beat, Bari are dreaming of finishing the season with a UEFA Cup place.
However, Lazio's morale will certainly have been given a lift by their victory over Juventus and coach Sven Goran Eriksson will be looking for immediate dividends.
"I'm one of those who believes that victory is the best medicine to get you through the difficult times.
"I liked the way the team played (against Juventus) and above all the way they reacted to Del Piero's equalizer."
Lazio's cause was also helped by the opening goal from injury-prone Croatian striker Alen Boksic.
Eriksson said: "I thought he was on great form, after a period in which he hasn't been very well. Now I want to him stay on that form against Bari."
Third-place Roma face the toughest match of all the top clubs - coming here to San Siro to face Inter Milan, who are bidding to get back into the thick of the title race.
Inter may not have played great football, but it did enough to knock champions AC Milan out of the Cup with a 1-1 draw on Thursday night.
Inter coach Marcello Lippi is now counting on that success to feed his team's confidence for what is certain to be a major test of both side's championship credentials.
Milan, now with only the Serie A left, have to pick themselves up from their latest Cup exit - after failing to emerge from the first phase of the Champions League.
Alberto Zaccheroni's men take their troubles to Perugia, while title rivals Parma travel to Bologna after a poor run of form.
Serie A matches:
Saturday: Lecce vs. Verona, Piacenza vs. Udinese
Sunday: Bologna vs. Parma, Fiorentina vs. Reggina, Juventus vs. Cagliari, Lazio vs. Bari, Perugia vs. AC Milan, Venezia vs. Torino, Inter Milan vs. AS Roma
