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ROME — Juventus’ Italian Serie A football supremacy faces a stiff test with the champions just one point ahead of Lazio as the Italian league kicks off again this weekend following a three-month shutdown.
Sarri’s woes have been compounded with Brazilian defender Alex Sandro tearing a knee ligament against Napoli and Sami Khedira picking up a potentially serious tendon problem.
Argentine forward Gonzalo Higuain and captain Giorgio Chiellini are also not yet at full fitness.
Juventus will be counting on their top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo to react after suffering two defeats in a final for the first time in his career, and missing a penalty in the Italian Cup semi-final.
Lazio’s Ciro Immobile has scored 27 goals this season, six more than Ronaldo, as the in-form Romans target their third Scudetto and first in two decades.
Simone Inzaghi’s side have already beaten Juventus twice this season, in the Italian SuperCup final and 3-1 in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
The top two teams will meet in Turin on July 20.
Inter Milan are third, nine points behind Juventus. Inter lost to Lazio (2-1) and Juventus (2-0) just before the suspension.
Italian Serie A Fixtures
Today: Torino v Parma (6:30pm), Verona v Cagliari (8:45pm)
Tomorrow: Atalanta v Sassuolo (6:30pm), Inter Milan v Sampdoria (8:45pm)
Monday: Lecce v AC Milan (6:30pm), Fiorentina v Brescia (6:30pm), Bologna v Juventus (8:45pm)
Tuesday: SPAL v Cagliari (6:30pm), Verona v Napoli (6:30pm), Torino v Udinese (7:45pm), Genoa v Parma (8:45pm)
Wednesday: Inter Milan v Sassuolo (6:30pm), Atalanta v Lazio (8:45pm), Rome v Sampdoria (8:45pm) — AFP.
Online Reporter