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Juventus projected lineup vs Lazio: Changes needed for Ronaldo’s home debut

By John Vaccaro

VERONA, ITALY - AUGUST 18: Juventus player Miralem Pjanic in action during the serie A match between Chievo Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on August 18, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
VERONA, ITALY - AUGUST 18: Juventus player Miralem Pjanic in action during the serie A match between Chievo Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi on August 18, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images) /
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VERONA, ITALY – AUGUST 18: Mario Mandzukic of Juventus appeals during the Serie A match between Chievo Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on August 18, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
VERONA, ITALY – AUGUST 18: Mario Mandzukic of Juventus appeals during the Serie A match between Chievo Verona and Juventus at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi on August 18, 2018 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) /

Left Wing: Mario Mandzukic

I called for Mandzukic to get the starting nod last week and I think he has an even better claim this week. While Juan Cuadrado was a disappointment last week Mandzukic made an impact from the time he came on. His energy made a big difference for Juve and he seemed to have scored the game winner before having it waved off.

Juve will need Mandzukic’s energy for this game. They can’t afford another sluggish game this weekend. Mandzukic will help on defense and create a mismatch on crosses. He’s earned his starting spot and should get it back this Saturday.

Attacking Midfielder: Paulo Dybala

Paulo Dybala played a disappointing game against Chievo. He had little impact on the game and asked the creative influence Juventus needs him to provide. Juve has tailored their formation to fit their young star. As such, Dybala needs to be more influential for Juve.

He’ll need to play a better match against Lazio. Juve needs his creativity and scoring ability to beat the best teams in Serie A. Even if he continues to struggle it’s hard to imagine he’s in any danger of losing his starting spot. Even when Juve saw success in the 4-3-3 last year without him they eventually returned to the 4-2-3-1 that he is a better fit for. It’s a safe guarantee that Dybala will start Saturday.

Right Winger: Douglas Costa

Douglas Costa looked like he was going to be a major threat for Juve last week. He gave Chievo’s defense issues early and sent in a cross to Cancelo that likely should’ve led to a penalty. Unfortunately after his early burst he didn’t have much to offer. However, it was his first action since the World Cup and we can reasonably expect him to start rounding into form this week.

Costa will continue to get the starting nod because of his talent and pace. If he puts forth the type of performance normally expected of him, Costa should give Lazio’s defense fits. Federico Bernardeschi made a compelling case for this spot last weekend, but Costa should start again this weekend and will likely look like a better version than we saw last weekend.

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