The hosts had proven to be a tough nut to crack so far this campaign, conceding just once in their opening seven games of the SA season. However, prior to kick-off, only Inter Milan and Atalanta BC had scored more than Lazio’s 14 league goals, which suggested this would be a tough test of the hosts’ defensive stability.
In the first half, though, Juve dealt well with their opponents, even if they struggled to create many clear-cut chances themselves besides wayward efforts from Federico Gatti and Dušan Vlahović.
Instead, the first half’s most important moment came halfway through. As Pierre Kalulu bore down on goal, Alessio Romagnoli appeared to clip the defender on the edge of the area and, although referee Juan Luca Sacchi initially allowed play to continue, he eventually stopped play after being informed to do so by VAR.
Following a trip to the pitchside monitor, he dismissed Romagnoli, giving Juventus more than two-thirds of the game to make their numerical superiority count.
After the interval, the Old Lady offered more attacking threat and had two huge chances to take the lead around the hour mark. First, Vlahović hit the bar from close range, before Douglas Luiz headed substitute Timothy Weah’s cross wide of the post when unmarked in the penalty area.
As the half progressed, Lazio found it harder and harder to push forward and relieve the increased pressure they were coming under, but defensively they remained compact and organised. Although Vlahović did force Ivan Provedel into a diving save, his curling effort was from outside the area and would have needed to be special to beat the goalkeeper from there.
Ultimately, a slice of fortune was required for Juventus to break the deadlock. Juan Cabal’s cross was played into a very dangerous area, but it was Gila who got on the end of first and turned it into his own net.
Lazio belatedly tried to create something of their own and steal a point, yet their one-man disadvantage was telling as they succumbed. The result sees Thiago Motta’s side move joint-top of the table, albeit with Napoli still to play this weekend, while Lazio sit fifth and three points adrift.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dušan Vlahović (Juventus)
