Adam Marusic scored a late goal with a header to lead Lazio to a 1-0 win over Juventus on Saturday in Rome. This win came after Napoli's 3-0 loss to Atalanta, which has put their Champions League hopes in a precarious position.
In Rome's Stadio Olimpico, Marusic scored in the third minute of added time from Matteo Guendouzi's perfect cross to secure victory in Igor Tudor’s first match as Lazio coach.
Marusic's first goal of the season lifted Lazio to seventh place, one point ahead of Napoli and eight points away from the last Champions League position held by Bologna.
Juve, in third place, are in a difficult situation after their defeat in the Italian capital. They have gone four matches without a win and are now facing a challenge to secure a spot in the Champions League.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team has only gathered seven points from their last nine matches, and their performance on Saturday adds to a series of disappointing outings.
Juve played without suspended Dusan Vlahovic, as well as Arkadiusz Milik and Filip Kostic. The team lacked creativity in a messy match in Rome.
In Tudor’s debut as the head coach, Lazio made it tough for Juve after Maurizio Sarri's exit.
Tudor celebrated on the sidelines when Marusic secured the win, giving him a positive beginning at Lazio.
Tudor, the former Juventus player who won Serie A and B titles, is likely pleased with his team's strong performance.
The former Croatia defender faces a challenging start at Lazio, as the team will play against Juve again on Tuesday in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final, and then face the Rome derby next weekend.
• Napoli's predicament –
Aleksei Miranchuk, Gianluca Scamacca, and Teun Koopmeiners secured a win for sixth-placed Atalanta, boosting their chances of qualifying for Europe's top club competition.
Napoli remains in seventh place, trailing Bologna, who will face rock-bottom Salernitana on Easter Monday, by nine points.
Francesco Calzona’s team also sits six points behind fifth-placed Roma, with the capital club playing at Lecce and Italy in a favorable position to secure an extra spot in the next season’s restructured Champions League.
“While it's not impossible mathematically, the chances of us qualifying are very slim,” said Calzona after Napoli's first league defeat under his management.
Both Roma and Bologna have to travel south to play at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona before the season ends. Meanwhile, Atalanta is just one point behind Roma and has a game in hand, carrying momentum after a remarkable win.
Scamacca's first league goal since January and third in four matches, following his goals in both legs of Atalanta’s Europa League win over Sporting Lisbon.
The 25-year-old hopes to earn a spot in Italy’s Euro 2024 squad after missing out on the European champions’ recent friendlies.
“(Italy coach Luciano Spalletti) can always count on me because I always give my best… I'm more consistent now and I'm very happy, especially for Atalanta, who believed in me,” said Scamacca.
Napoli’s players kneeled to support their teammate Juan Jesus during the pre-match playing of the Serie A anthem while fans in the stands shouted “no to racism”.
Jesus and Napoli were surprised by the Italian Football Federation’s disciplinary tribunal clearing Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi of racially abusing Jesus due to lack of evidence.
AFP
