Lazio, Juventus Square Off in Clash of Italian Heavyweights
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
MILAN (November 25, 1999 7:19 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Italy is bracing for a clash of the titans this weekend when joint Serie A leaders Lazio and Juventus do battle at the Olympic stadium.
The two sides have both rattled up 21 points after losing just one of their 10 games so far. Now they meet in Rome on Sunday night for a match which is worth far more than three points in the league table.
Victory for Lazio would do much for the confidence that was shattered by last weekend's humiliating 4-1 derby drubbing by AS Roma, and then partially re-built by their 2-0 midweek win over Marseille.
Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti said bravely: "I think the criticism did us good... we knew that we'd got the derby all wrong.
"But we put it all behind us. We did well (against Marseille) and now we'll try to do the same against Juventus."
Lazio, unbeaten in all competition this season before last weekend's defeat, will be looking to Chilean Marcelo "The Matador" Salas to supply the goals, supported by either Croatian Alen Boksic or Simone Inzaghi.
But the psychological stakes are high too for Juventus
The Turin club, already on a roll after beating reigning champions AC Milan 3-1 last Sunday night, will be unstoppable if they can top that by beating a side rated as one of the best in the world.
Team morale got an added boost from trouncing Olympiakos 3-1 in the UEFA Cup third round in midweek and team coach Carlo Ancelotti will be counting on a continuing return to form of his strike trio of Alessandro Del Piero, Filippo Inzaghi and World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.
AC Milan face an aweseome task in trying to interrupt Parma's month-long winning run, a task made even more difficult after their bruising defeat to Juventus last weekend.
The only good news is that Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko, the Serie A's top scorer with seven goals, should start after missing the game in Turin.
Neighbours Inter Milan, who gave Lecce six of the best here last weekend, now travel south to face newly-promomoted Reggina. Inter will be without Ronaldo, but hopes are high that the world's most expensive footballer ever, 50-million-dollar Christian Vieri, will return from a foot injury.
Roma, just two points behind the league leaders, flushed from the derby and comforted by a narrow 1-0 home win over Newcastle, are away to Udinese.
Giovanni Trapattoni's Fiorentina, midweek conquerors of Manchester United in the European Champions League, travel to Bologna on Saturday.
