Igor Tudor and Juventus' decisive challenge against Lazio for fourth place

If it was chosen to re-arrange the Juventus after Motta, Tudor Igor he owes it not only to his Juventus past as a footballer, but also and above all to his more recent past as a coach of the Lazio: hired nine days before the end of last season after Sarri's resignation (and Martusciello's interim), he brought home 18 points, qualifying the Biancocelesti for theEuropa League.

Now, in six games in black and white, the points are 11, but something more is needed because the objective is the fourth and this afternoon's match, against the Biancocelesti, is Juventus' last direct clash this season: "Yes, it's true, but if you win it and then lose the last two...", Tudor replies to the classic question about how decisive today's match is, leaving the sentence hanging, but the point is clear.

"The match is the most important of the three remaining because it is the first, but there are nine points missing": it is obvious, and after all only by winning all three of the next matches would his Juventus be almost completely certain of fourth place. If it were to happen, Tudor would also improve the points average obtained with Lazio, and of which he is very proud ("in the ranking of the last few days we were second behind only Atalanta", he recalls, and in fact it was like that: Atalanta 22, Lazio and Inter 18, then the others), but for the present, precedents, feelings and not even words are enough: "If you ask me if I am convinced of finishing fourth, I tell you yes; but everyone is, everyone can say they are strong and convinced, but they are just words, and many times words are smoke. You have to prove it on the pitch".

Was his Juventus? Is it? Not a simple answer: it was probably difficult to ask more of him, and certainly the team with him seems more rational, as well as more vertical. But then the numbers tell of just 7 goals scored, and almost none in the second half: "I don't think about these things, I always ask to go strong in the same way, regardless of the result. There are many topics I could talk about, but it's not the time and it would be useless. Happy? I never am, no coach should ever be".

The time for analysis and processes will come. In the meantime, still without the suspended Yildiz and Cambiaso, Tudor recovers Vlahovic, but the favorite for the starting role remains Kolo Muani, supported by McKennie and Nico Gonzalez, in a 3-4-2-1 that will look a lot like Bologna's 3-5-2. The surprise could be Alberto Costa and Weah from the start on the outside lanes.