Juventus 3-1 Lazio: 5 talking points as Alvaro Morata brace keeps alive Bianconeri's title bid | Serie A 2020-21

#3 Andrea Pirlo's gamble on resting Cristiano Ronaldo pays off

Cristiano Ronaldo came on as a second-half substitute.

With Juventus due to play against Porto in the UEFA Champions League next week, it was perhaps understandable why Andrea Pirlo started talisman Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench.

However, there were a fair few eyebrows raised, as the Bianconeri were playing with a makeshift defence and needed a win to keep their slim title hopes alive. For 39 minutes, it looked as though Pirlo had horribly miscalculated, as Juventus struggled to have any sort of impression on the game.

19-5 - #Juventus have won seven of their last eight home games against #Lazio in #Serie A (L1), with an aggregate score of 19-5. Hammer.#JuventusLazio #SerieATIM

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 6, 2021

Ronaldo eventually came on with his side in a relatively comfortable position, as Pirlo was left vindicated. The 35-year-old didn't have much of an impact, as Juventus sought to protect their lead. Pirlo would hope Ronaldo is saving it all for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as he usually does.

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#4 Simone Inzaghi gets his substitutions wrong for Lazio

Simone Inzaghi was left to rue a missed opportunity.

Despite the scoreline implying Juventus were comfortable victors in this contest, it was hardly the truth. Lazio started the game in fabulous fashion, rarely letting Juventus to breathe as they forced their opponents into multiple errors.

Even after Adrien Rabiot scored against the run of play, Lazio continued to dominate proceedings against Juventus. A pre-planned substitution, though, went horribly wrong, as once Lucas Leiva and Senad Lulic were replaced by Gonzalo Escalante and Patric respectively in the 55th minute, the Biancocelesti lost all control in the middle of the park.

Leiva would surely have been on hand to prevent the counter-attack from which Alvaro Morata scored, and Milinkovic-Savic's tired tackle may not have been needed. For once, Simone Inzaghi has the blame laid squarely on his shoulders as he gifted this win to Juventus.

19-5 - #Juventus have won seven of their last eight home games against #Lazio in #Serie A (L1), with an aggregate score of 19-5. Hammer.#JuventusLazio #SerieATIM

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 6, 2021

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#5 Juventus are gathering momentum at the right time

Andrea Pirlo may prove his doubters wrong.

The jury is still out on Andrea Pirlo in his first season in charge of Juventus. The Bianconeri have not looked remotely like the all-conquering sides of Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri and even Maurizio Sarri.

The first-leg defeat to FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 has only served to question Pirlo's credentials.

Andrea Pirlo, as always, remains unflappable, as his side have come into form despite a plethora of injuries. It's now three wins out of four since that defeat to Porto, and confidence ought to be high that Juventus can turn things around with an away goal.

However, winning the Scudetto could be far less straightforward this season. Nevertheless, this win throws down the gauntlet to Inter Milan, who face a tough task against Atalanta this weekend. If the Nerazzurri stumble, Juventus will fancy their chances to capitalise and close down the gap on the league leaders.