Baroni acknowledges Juventus challenge: Can Lazio replicate Motta's successful season with Bologna?

Baroni expressed caution when asked about making season predictions ahead of tonight's match against Juventus, emphasizing that it was still too early to make any definitive statements.

How is the team and how did the internationals meet again?

"The team is fine, those who stayed with me trained, the others had the satisfaction of going to the national team. Today we had the first full training session."

How is Guendouzi?

"Guendo is better, we'll take another 24 hours to evaluate the case. It seems to me that he could be available, I don't know if from the start. The boy is very eager to be present, I had no doubts about this."

Will there be more caution given the strength of the opponent?

"We are facing a strong team, the best defense in Europe and with the best ball possession in Italy. They have yet to concede goals from open play, they have compactness and personality. For us it is a perfect match to try to be competitive, it is a very high level test. We must face it with awareness and the right personality, with the desire to face such difficult matches. There is beauty in difficulties."

Is tomorrow's match a test of maturity for your team? What ambitions does this Lazio have?

"I believe that ambitions go hand in hand with performance and with what you want to propose, rather than talking I prefer to do. For us it means working hard, with great spirit. We are all ambitious, from the fans to the club to the players, but this ambition can only be cultivated with sacrifice and this match is an important step. For us it will be an important step, we live on continuous tests. In our work the tests are daily between what is proposed and the answers that are obtained, we will face a strong team and from this point of view we must go with the desire to raise the level with these matches."

How pleased are you to have won over the fans?

"It's the team's merit, I'm bringing a proposal and the team is taking it on board. We must give great credit to the team, right now I have my feet on the ground and I want to put in the work, we can find our answers there and for me that's the most important thing. We're looking for team identity, these compliments are nice for the team, but I have to stay anchored to the project."

How ready is your Lazio to play with a lower line? How much of a difference will the substitutions make?

"Substitutions are fundamental, we have seen it in these matches in all the competitions we are facing. Juventus is characterized by its solidity and its experience, but I don't like to change the team. We must have our awareness, just as they have theirs, we prepared the match on our identity. To build you must have certainties and a belief that you must follow regardless of the opponent or the negative moments that may arrive. It is a difficult test but I am convinced the team will not put in a bad performance."

Can Lazio be the surprise this year like Thiago Motta's Bologna was?

"It's too early, we have to stay balanced but I'm not just talking about the pitch, it's an aspect that we have to keep on a daily basis because then in the long run it leads you to achieve individual and collective goals. We have to bring the same coherence and rationality on and off the pitch."

Can you give us an update on the conditions of Gigot, Dia, Dele-Bashiru and Vecino?

"For those who have returned from the national team, it is linked to the recovery of energy, Dele has had a bitter adventure and has been out, but the boy is young and has recovered, as has Dia. We will see Samuel soon, he is already available and could play from the start in the Cup, Vecino on the other hand was very quick to return, he has recovered from this small fatigue, he has done all the training and is fine."

Are there any chances of recovering Lazzari before the next break? Do you already have an alternative to Marusic in mind?

"We have solutions, it is clear that Lazzari is recovering quickly and is already much better, I am confident in a prompt recovery. Our staff is doing a great job, the boy is very eager and is accelerating. We have solutions, I am not worried, Marusic is fine and is a certainty for us. I am not worried."

Isaksen has scored for the national team, is he ready to make the leap in quality also in the scoring phase?

"The boy is growing, I see his qualities. Sometimes he needs to find support because he alternates performances and he does it depending on how the game starts. He finds certainties during the game, instead he needs to play freely because I ask him to risk even the important plays. He can do it, we analyzed his game for the national team together and he played a good game. With Empoli he only lacked the goal, he played a very good game but he can and must do even more in the offensive zone."