Lazio 1-0 Juventus: Igor Tudor era begins with dramatic victory over troubled Juve in Serie A after Adam Marusic strike

Adam Marusic scored in the dying seconds to claim a 1-0 victory for Lazio over Juventus on Igor Tudor’s debut as coach of the Roman club and deepen the Old Lady’s crisis.

The match in the Eternal City long seemed destined to finish goalless after a wasteful performance from both sides, Taty Castellanos squandering good chances for the hosts and Christos Mandas coming to their rescue when Juve threatened through Federico Chiesa and Andrea Cambiaso.

But midway through the final minute of stoppage time, Marusic rose to meet a Matteo Guendouzi cross and head home from close range to spark euphoric scenes and ensure it was a memorable debut for Tudor, who was drafted in following Maurizio Sarri’s resignation earlier in the month.

As a result, Lazio jump into seventh in the Serie A standings, eight points behind fourth-place Bolgona ahead of their clash with Salernitana on Monday.

Juventus, meanwhile, saw their winless streak extend to four matches, and they remain third in the table.

The two sides will face off once more in Turin on Tuesday night in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, before a third meeting in three weeks back at the Olimpico on April 23.

Even before Marusic’s absurdly late goal settled the game, there were plenty of encouraging signs for Tudor.

The team adapted well to a new hybrid tactical system after two-and-a-half years of playing in a much more rigid Maurizio Sarri 4-3-3, although a familiar failure to capitalise on final-third pressure cost them until the 93rd-minute drama unfolded.

The victory itself will be a huge boost to this fragile squad, who looked out of ideas before the international break. Tudor’s task does not get any easier from here, though - Lazio now face Juve again on Tuesday in the cup, before taking on Roma in the Derby della Capitale next Saturday.

The wing-back has struggled for form this season and was an unlikely hero as he netted his first goal since the 2021/22 season.

But the moment was no less than he deserved for a standout all-round performance, with the Montenegro international tasked with changing roles on and off the ball in the two different systems.

A vital tackle on Moise Kean in the second half was the highlight of a formidable defensive effort to go with his expertly taken late run and header.

Lazio: Mandas 7; Gila 8, Romagnoli 7, Casale 6; Marusic 8, Cataldi 7, Kamada 7, Anderson 7; Pedro 6, Zaccagni 6; Castellanos 5

Subs: Isaksen 6, Immobile 6, Vecino 6, Guendouzi 7, Alberto 6

Juventus: Szczesny 6; Danilo 6, Bremer 7, Rugani 6, De Sciglio 6, Miretti 6, Locatelli 6, Rabiot 7; Cambiaso 6, Kean 6, Chiesa 6

Subs: Iling Jr 6, McKennie 6, Weah 6, Yildiz 6, Sekulov 6

18’ CHANCE! CASTELLANOS MISSES - Lazio's best chance of the game so far falls to Castellanos, as a loose ball comes to him just inside the box, but his first time finish flies wide of the post. It's a big opportunity and you would expect the striker to at least hit the target, but his effort was a good distance wide.

21’ ANOTHER MISS FROM CASTELLANOS! - Oh dear, he might come to regret these...A finely worked move between the striker and Anderson earns him some space in the box, but Castellanos' finish flies into the side netting!

42’ CHIESA! JUVE GO CLOSE - By far Juve's best move of the night! Some lovely interplay on the edge of the box before Chiesa finds space for a shot, which is tipped wide by a sprawling Mandas, making his first save of the night.

53’ MANDAS RESCUES LAZIO! - Juventus threaten again! Substitute Iling Jr makes a good impact, swinging a good cross to the far post for Cambiaso, and his volley from close range but a very tight angle is parried by Mandas before being hurriedly cleared. The visitors look to have picked up where they left off.

93’ GOAL! MARUSIC WINS IT AT THE DEATH! - Incredible! With seconds left on the clock, Lazio have won it! Guendouzi comes into the box and steers an inviting cross towards the back post, where Marusic has made a fantastic run to head home.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing, NBA and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.