Juventus faced an unexpectedly difficult challenge against a resilient 10-man Lazio side, ultimately relying on a fortuitous own goal to claim all three points at the Allianz Stadium.
The match took a dramatic turn in the 24th minute when Lazio defender Alessio Romagnoli was shown a straight red card for a last-ditch tackle on Pierre Kalulu, who had been sent clear on goal by a precise Dusan Vlahovic pass. VAR confirmed the referee’s decision, leaving the visitors to play with 10 men for over an hour.
Despite the numerical advantage, Juventus struggled to break down Lazio’s determined defense. Vlahovic came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, his free-kick skimming the crossbar. The Serbian striker was again unlucky after the break, seeing his shot cannon off the underside of the crossbar in the 57th minute.
As the match wore on, Juventus’ frustration grew. Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal was largely untroubled until the 81st minute when he was finally called into action to save a curling effort from Vlahovic.
The breakthrough finally came in the closing stages, but in cruel fashion for the visitors. A cross from Juan Cabal was met by the unfortunate Mario Gila, who had been visibly struggling with fatigue. The Lazio defender’s attempted clearance went horribly wrong, sending the ball into his own net from close range.
The victory keeps Juventus unbeaten this season, though their performance raised questions about their ability to break down defensive opposition. For Lazio, the result was a bitter pill to swallow after a valiant defensive effort with 10 men for most of the match.
Goals: Gila og 85 (J)
Juventus(4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona (dal 54′ Weah), Kalulu, Gatti (dal 72′ Danilo), Cabal; Locatelli (dal 54′ Fagioli), Thuram (dal 72′ Adzic); Cambiaso, Douglas Luiz ,Yildiz; Vlahovic
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Nuno Tavares (dal 78′ Pellegrini); Guendouzi (dal 67′ Vecino), Rovella; Zaccagni (dal 67′ Pedro), Dia (dal 27′ Patric), Isaksen (dal 67′ Castrovilli); Castellanos
