Lazio had already beaten all the big names in the league at least once, only Juventus was missing. Last place in last year’s head-to-head mini-table became top in 2022-23. With a super defense: no one has conceded so few goals and recorded more clean sheets
LAZIO 2-1 JUVENTUS: THE HIGHLIGHTS
Fly, Lazio. With a new heavy victory. With three points in a big match that consolidate second place. Seven ahead of the fifthbefore those excluded from a Champions League that Lazio haven’t played since February 2021. Sarri preaches calmly: “They seem like a lot, but in reality there are 27 up for grabs and we have very tough matches”. Exactly like the one just won against Juventus, the only one of the big names (considering a mini-championship with only Napoli, Lazio, Rome, Milan, Inter, Atalanta and Juve) that was still missing. Now Sarri’s team – which is more and more a team Of Sarri – is at the top of the virtual ranking of big matches: 21 points out of 30, like leaders Napoli.
All right
Juve was missing, precisely, because Lazio had (already) beaten all the other big names: won against Inter and against Milan in the first leg, the only two direct matches still on the calendar, both at San Siro. Against the Bianconeri they had lost in the first leg but won, therefore, in the very recent second leg. Naples on the contrary: knockout in the first leg and victory in the second part of the season, which also makes it one of only four – with Milan, Inter and Liverpool – to have beaten Spalletti’s team. So three points out of six also with Atalanta and, obviously, i derby. Due su due.
Last year…
The points average says 2.1, that is 21 out of 30. A change of gear, since last year there were just 9: victories only with Inter and Roma. Two draws with Atalanta and one with Juve. Translated: last place in the mini ranking of the seven sisters. Then the series: I am seven games in a row without knockout for Sarri, the longest open streak in the championship on a par with Fiorentina. With six wins and only one draw.
Gol e clean-sheet
So the defense theme, the other great turning point of Sarri’s Lazio, which is the best in the league. 20 goals conceded, 21 those of Naples. Last year there were 58, the tenth defense of the season. An average of 1.53 goals conceded against 0.69 in 2022-23. And it will also be true that a series of six clean sheets in a row in Serie A was interrupted against Juve, but in the meantime Sarri&Co are also first in this ranking: 17 games without conceding a goal, like Juve. Record-breaking. Last year? Just nine times out of thirty-eight, the tenth position in the championship. Because this year Lazio plays another music.