Juventus get boost as Lazio and Inter falter

MILAN • Serie A's resumption after the coronavirus stoppage could not have gone much better for title holders Juventus, who won their opening match and saw rivals Lazio and Inter Milan both slip up.

As Juve extended their lead over Lazio to four points, it was hard to avoid the familiar feeling that the Turin side were about to ride off into the distance, just as they have done in previous seasons, and claim a ninth successive title.

"This defeat complicates the road towards the title," said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi, after his side squandered a two-goal lead and fell 3-2 to fourth-placed Atalanta on Wednesday - their first league defeat in nine months.

"We hadn't lost for 21 games but Atalanta were one of the worst opponents we could have faced on our restart. Now we have to get our energy back and make sure the players recover. We haven't even been lucky with the fixture list."

Looking at the weekend's fixtures, Inzaghi's gloom may seem justified. Juve's match is at home today to relegation-threatened Lecce, who have shipped 15 goals on their way to losing their last three games.

Lazio - bidding for their third Serie A title after 1974 and 2000 - have a tougher proposition at home to Fiorentina tomorrow while Inter, eight points behind Juve in third after their 3-3 draw at home to Sassuolo on Wednesday, visit seventh-placed Parma on Sunday.

Inter coach Antonio Conte was left frustrated after watching his side give up the lead twice.

He had complained about Inter's profligacy after they beat Sampdoria 2-1 on Sunday. Their performance against Sassuolo, including an open-goal miss by midfielder Roberto Gagliardini, left him even more exasperated.

"We had chances to seal the result and we didn't, and then they scored in the 89th minute, but we can't work any harder," he said. "There are situations where you have to score and today, we paid dearly for our naivety."

Yet it is far from over. Even though the Serie A season ends in just over one month, there are still 11 matches each to play - which in terms of games is almost one third of the season.

And there are plenty of chances for Juventus to slip up. The champions have to visit AC Milan, host Lazio, free-scoring Atalanta, their neighbours Torino and fifth-placed Roma.

REUTERS