A derby with a view of Europe. Mole's city derby number 256 in history (the 158th in Serie A), in addition to city supremacy, is worth a place in the next cups and the discussion, this time, is not just about Juventus. In fact, Turin also still has international ambitions, provided however that they stop the bleeding from the derby which has now lasted for nine years: since that 2-1 on 26 April 2015, in fact, they have achieved 15 Juventus successes and 4 draws in 19 matches. Saturday with strong Savoy colors, in short, without forgetting Bologna-Monza (20.45pm, Dazn and Sky) and Lecce-Empoli (15pm, Dazn), fundamental both in terms of Europe and salvation.
Lazio – Salernitana 4-1: Felipe Anderson, Vecino and Isaksen sign the poker, but the Olimpico contests
But Tudor's Lazio took care of opening the 32nd day, obtaining a good victory despite the climate at the Olimpico, hostile since the pre-match: the Biancoceleste people could not digest the defeat in the derby, even if discontent had already been brewing for several months, due to a season with little light and many shadows. The Croatian coach, evidently, is (almost) exempt from responsibility, yet he needed this victory like air. The calendar has given him a good hand, given that Salernitana has stopped fighting for some time now and is just waiting to be relegated mathematically, but matches must be won on the pitch and Lazio, moreover, was struggling with the very serious absences of Immobile , Zaccagni, Romagnoli and Guendouzi. In cases like these, a leader is needed and Tudor found it in Felipe Anderson, author of a brace which, in fact, ended any discussion already in the first half. The Brazilian, whose contract expires in June and is about to join Juve, made it 1-0 with a nice personal move in the 7th minute, then did it again in the 35th minute, this time after an assist from Luis Alberto. In between the goals from Vecino (14') and Tchaouna (16'), confirming a lively and entertaining match, even if not at all fought. The final 4-1 was made by Isaksen immediately after his arrival on the pitch (87'), while Castellanos was left without a goal, unable to take advantage of Immobile's injury and leave his mark.
Luis Alberto announces his farewell: "I asked for termination, I will never take a single euro from Lazio again"
Confirming the tension and climate from "break the lines” then there are the words of Luis Alberto, another historic leader who will leave the club at the end of the season, despite an existing contract until 2027. “I won't be there next year – the Spaniard surprisingly revealed -. I have already asked the club to terminate, I don't want to take a single euro from Lazio for the next four years. The time has come to step aside. I definitely won't be part of the project next year, I've already spoken to the company. I want to leave the club money for other players."
Turin – Juventus (18pm, Dazn)
Having archived yesterday's preview, we can return to dealing with the Mole derby, always fascinating regardless of the ranking. This time, however, it's not just city pride that's at stake, but rather one European race which involves at least nine teams and which promises entertainment from now until the end of the championship. Juventus, thanks to the success over Fiorentina (and the missteps of their pursuers), found a bit of serenity and were able to prepare for today's match with less pressure, even if with the knowledge that they could not make mistakes for any reason. A misstep against Toro, in fact, would eliminate the benefits of the last victory, calling into question the Champions League issue and bringing Allegri back to the dock. The Juventus coach, moreover, knows that he is still in the balance, as confirmed, albeit indirectly, by John Elkann in his letter to the club's shareholders. The president of Exor underlined the centrality of Giuntoli in the new project, "forgetting" to mention the coach: simple slip of the tongue or calculation of opportunities? It's impossible to say with certainty, but it's clear that thinking of a form error seems forced to say the least. The reality is that the Juventus sporting director, after a season of settling in, is ready to take the reins of Juventus, both in terms of the transfer market (see the negotiation with Felipe Anderson, who is about to move to Turin on a free transfer) and the choice of technician. The derby cannot move everything, a season finale that lives up to expectations can: this is why the Bianconeri absolutely cannot make mistakes in today's match, nor in the next ones. The Bull, despite the necessary comparisons, is not in much better shape, given that derby abstinence is now becoming chronic. Furthermore, at stake are the remaining hopes of European qualification, which have definitely fallen after the defeat in Empoli, but are still alive thanks to a short ranking and the UEFA rankings, which should give Italy one more place.
Allegri: "The future is here, entering the Champions League moves 100 million"
“When you win you feel better, that's for sure – underlined Allegri -. There are seven days of the championship left and the semi-final of the Italian Cup, it's still a long way off, tomorrow we have to take another small step forward towards our objectives. Now we just have to think about this, entering or not entering the Champions League worth 100 million, it's something fundamental. Then the club, as always, will decide what the best future for Juventus will be, but at this moment the best thing to do is to join forces to reach this target. There are many game pitfalls in the derby: first of all, Torino have made 15 clean sheets in 31 games, so they concede a goal every two games, only 10 at home. It's a tough team that concedes few goals, I think it's the fourth best defense in the championship, then it's a derby and derbies are a story in themselves. For us it is another important step, we must face it in the best way. My future? At this moment I don't ask myself the problem, we are totally within our goal which we have not yet achieved. There's no need to talk about anything else, for us the future is only the derby...".
Juric: “The derby is a stain on my career, I want to beat Juventus”
“If I analyze the work of these years, which has been fantastic, the derby is not a stain – explained Juric -. I want to win, it's a special match for everyone, I really want to win the 3 points: the team feels strong and wants to give great joy to the fans and club, we deserve it for everything we are doing. Of the nine goals we conceded, seven came from set pieces and now we will have to pay more attention and desire not to concede: they have an impressive physicality, but we are in a good moment. Allegri? A great coach, he always adapts and has achieved great results. He doesn't have a style, he varies and adapts, this is his strength and perhaps at the same time a flaw. I, on the other hand, am a bit obsessed and the value is a defined product, but it lacks the imagination that he has. Juventus' weak points? You have to be good at reversing the action when they are aggressive, they duck and you need clarity to score goals."
Turin – Juventus, the probable lineups
Turin (3-4-1-2): Milinkovic-Savic; Tameze, Good morning, Masina; Bellanova, Ricci, Linetty, Rodriguez; Vlasic; Sanabria, Zapata
Coach: Juric
Disqualified: none
Unavailable: Schuurs, Djidji, Gineitis, Pellegri
Juventus (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso, McKennie, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Church, Vlahovic
Coach: Allegri
Disqualified: Pogba, Fagioli
Unavailable: Milik
