Soccer-Depleted Inter travel to Lazio, Serie A leaders Atalanta at Calgliari

AFC Ajax NV

12/12/2024 14:00

By Tommy Lund
       Dec 12 (Reuters) - Champions Inter Milan, struggling
with defensive injuries and coming off a tough loss in the
Champions League, face a pivotal test against Lazio as they
fight to stay in touch with Serie A leaders Atalanta. 
    Atalanta top the standings on 34 points, two ahead of Napoli
with Inter and Fiorentina locked together on 31.
    Reeling from Tuesday's 1-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen,
Inzaghi's side remain without injured defensive pillars
Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard.
    Inter's 573-minute run without conceding a goal in the
Champions League ended when Nordi Mukiele scored for Leverkusen
in the 90th minute and Lazio have racked up consecutive wins
over Napoli in league and cup ahead of facing Ajax Amsterdam in
the Europa League on Thursday.
    Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalanta side have secured nine
consecutive wins in the league - a Serie A record they could
break at Cagliari on Saturday.
    Fifteenth-placed Cagliari should present few problems for
manager Gian Piero who has no major injury worries apart from
Italy defender Giorgio Scalvini, who sustained a shoulder injury
ahead of this week's Champions League loss to Real Madrid, and
longer-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Juan Cuadrado.
    Juve are still unbeaten in Serie A but have drawn three
games in a row and nine of their opening 15 league fixtures,
leaving them seven points behind Atalanta in sixth place.
    "Nothing bothers me. I perfectly accept all honest
judgements, but I won’t enter this story," Juve coach Thiago
Motta said.
    "I am only focused on my work: improving the team and
helping my players. The rest doesn’t count much."
    Against bottom-placed Venezia at home on Saturday, Motta has
a good chance of victory. Juve have dominated this fixture
historically, winning 10 of their last 12 Serie A matches
against the newly-promoted side.
    Fiorentina, riding high on an eight-match winning streak in
Serie A, will aim to make history when they travel to Bologna on
Sunday. 
    Victory for Raffaele Palladino's side would set a new club
record, surpassing the long-standing mark from 1960.
    
    

 (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
 ((TommyAlexander.Lund@thomsonreuters.com;))