Lazio and Juventus Promise a 'Battle Royal'
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME, Italy (April 13, 1999 3:37 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Juventus and Lazio have both promised a battle royal on Saturday when Italy's reigning champions meet their likely successors at the Olympic stadium.
Juventus coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday that his men would not be distracted by next Wednesday's crucial European Cup semifinal with Manchester United and neither would he be resting his best players.
"I find it disturbing that people would even think Juventus would snub this match," said Ancelotti, who ruled out any repeat of its shock defeat to Empoli before the first leg at Old Trafford.
"That was a different situation. We had two players suspended, three injured and of those available (Antonio) Conte and (Filippo) Inzaghi only played barely a half each. But with a big match like this, there won't be any problems of concentration.
"Everyone will be watching us and Lazio are expecting a lot from this game, so we have a moral duty to give it everything we have.
"And it goes without saying that three points would come in very handy. We don't want to even think about playing the Intertoto."
Lazio coach Sven Goran Eriksson meanwhile spent nearly an hour talking to the team who lost Sunday's derby 3-1 to AS Roma.
But he was quick to dispel any notion of an impending crisis for his league leaders after losing their 17-match unbeaten run.
"They are not crushed," he said.
"They can't wait to vent their frustration and prove that what happened with Roma was an isolated incident. I'm not worried. There are no signs of a collapse.
"Milan are four points behind, Fiorentina are five, but the biggest opponents we have are ourselves. We have to be more concentrated and be careful not to repeat Sunday's match.
"But even so, looking at the league table, Milan and Fiorentina have more problems than we do."
As for Saturday's game, Eriksson said: "Juventus aren't coming here to take a walk in the park. They have a game next Wednesday and they are not going to win the league, that much is for sure.
"But we are convinced they want to put on a good performance on the home ground of the team who are top of the class, and that they also want revenge for us beating them in Turin last August in the Super Cup."
And he added: "For us, the best possible medicine for a defeat like the one we suffered with Roma would be to beat a great team like Juventus."
