Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio believes that the Old Lady’s upcoming away match against Lazio will be tough for the visitors, especially since it’s the first meeting following the international break.
The Bianconeri will be heading to the Stadio Olimpico to take on the Biancocelesti on Saturday and the 28-year-old admits that the hosts have the ability to present a number of difficulties to the Turin giants, though he insists that Juve will be focused on overcoming Stefano Pioli’s men in order to enter their Champions League clash with Malmo on November 26 on a positive note.
Marchisio spoke to Il Messaggero about the strong Lazio side that Juventus will be facing in Rome, while also commenting on what Massimiliano Allegri’s men hope to achieve before the new year.
“It’s true that this match can be a trap for us,” said the Italian international. “And then there’s the fact that returning from international duty is always difficult.
“Regardless of your opponent, you never know how to return from international duty. It will be a tough away match, Lazio can hurt us.
“We’ll be going up against a great team in a tough environment. Lazio are very competitive and well-trained, they are doing well.
“We aren’t just going on a trip, we want all three points. A victory would help us ahead of our Champions League meeting with Malmo, and if we’re able to beat them as well then we’ll have more than one foot in the door to advance to the next round.
“What gifts could we give to Allegri and [Italy boss] Antonio Conte for Christmas? We could promise our commitment to both coaches. Perhaps for Conte we could get him a bottle of wine so he could relax a bit.
“As for Allegri, we can win the Supercoppa Italiana and earn a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League. He has inserted himself into a great team, the group is assimilating to his type of game better after the change in tactics.”
