Juventus return to Serie A on Sunday with the echo of a European night still close, but Luciano Spalletti has placed the domestic test firmly at the centre of the week. The win over Celta in the Europa League offered encouragement; Lazio’s visit, however, brings the league leaders to Turin and asks Juventus to find clarity after a demanding trip.
The coach and the club
Spalletti described Lazio as one of the most dangerous sides Juventus can face, reserving particular praise for Gennaro Gattuso’s work at the start of the campaign. In his view, Gattuso, together with Alvini and Pisacane, has been among the standout coaches of the opening stretch.
“Lazio are an extremely dangerous team,” Spalletti said. “Gattuso’s work must be recognised, considering what was being said at the beginning. They have balance, as well as players such as Frattesi, who is explosive. I know him well: he can do many things. We will need to be strong and intelligent in the choices we make.”
The match arrives after Juventus travelled to Vigo for Thursday’s Europa League fixture against Celta, a game they won. Spalletti made clear that the preparation for Lazio has been shaped less by training-ground intensity than by managing the consequences of the journey.
- Juventus completed their Europa League trip to face Celta on Thursday and came away with a victory.
- The squad’s recovery programme began at 4.30am after the return journey.
- The following day was limited to a light inspection session, with some players unable to sleep on the plane.
- There was no physical work in the two days before the Sunday meeting with Lazio.
“People do not understand how recovery works,” Spalletti said. “The match does not begin with the referee’s whistle. We have been discussing the things the players need to keep in mind and picture for the game.”
A touchline absence, not a loss of control
Spalletti will not be on the bench after receiving a suspension following his exchange with Pisacane. He rejected the suggestion that the episode came from simple anger, describing his temperament instead as “selective sympathy”, while admitting that tension can sometimes give him energy.
The Juventus coach insisted he had not gone towards Pisacane looking for a confrontation. There had been an intense exchange of looks, he said, but nothing more from his side. If the officials judged the incident worthy of punishment, he added, then he would follow the match from the stands.
At half-time, Spalletti expects to speak by telephone with his staff. He placed particular trust in assistant Marco Domenichini, whom he called the best deputy in the world, saying he was entirely confident that the correct decisions would be made in his absence.
The forward question before Lazio
One of those decisions concerns the possibility of starting both Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani. Spalletti did not rule out a two-striker selection, but presented it as part of a wider calculation about how the match may develop and what Juventus would retain on the bench.
For him, the familiar distinction between starters and substitutes is too narrow. The group must have a broader understanding of responsibility, with players ready to take the moment when it arrives.
Woltemade, Spalletti noted, had been surprised after being left out at Cagliari, but then scored in Vigo. It was a reminder that opportunity can change quickly across a season.
“You have to be ready when destiny knocks,” Spalletti said. “It rewards those who are most determined.”
Starting Woltemade and Kolo Muani together would reduce Juventus’ ability to alter the game later, however. Spalletti identified Kolo Muani, Woltemade and Nico as the attacking players with the strength to make that kind of impact, leaving the final selection as a decision for the final hours before Lazio arrive.
