Gattuso: Juventus Stronger Than Lazio But We Have No Fear

FolioPitch.com – 17 October 2026 | Gennaro Gattuso has acknowledged that Juventus possess greater individual quality than his Lazio side, but the Biancocelesti coach insists his players will travel to Turin without an ounce of trepidation. Speaking at his pre-match press conference at Formello ahead of Sunday’s Serie A clash, Gattuso Juventus stronger than Lazio but we have no fear was the clear message he delivered, framing the encounter as a test of mentality rather than a mismatch of resources.

Lazio sit near the top of the Serie A table with 16 points from their opening six games and are chasing a third consecutive victory after beating Monza last weekend. Despite that strong start, Gattuso was quick to downplay the significance of the standings so early in the campaign. “Tomorrow is the seventh round, so that’s reductive, because there will still be 31 games to go,” he said. “We have to go to Turin aware that we are facing a great team that has reaped less than it has sown. What interests me is courage. We have to play a game of mentality, without fear. They are stronger than us, but I want to see a team that takes them on and trades blow for blow. Being afraid gets us nothing. We are on a journey and we have to improve game by game. We are doing a lot of good things, but I want to see further improvement. No fear, no fright.”

The coach expects a varied and unpredictable threat from a Juventus side that has reshaped its squad significantly. “We’re playing a team that can play with two, three or four attackers,” he explained. “They’ve changed a lot. They’ve scored three or four goals from crosses and they systematically get bodies back into the box. They are physical at set pieces and have pace out wide, which is why tomorrow we’ll need a lot of courage. If we hide away in the shed, we won’t get anywhere. We have to go hard, at very high intensity, and then we’ll see. They are a great team.”

Gattuso wants that intensity sustained throughout the 90 minutes without sacrificing defensive shape. “It can and must be done, but then we’ll also need to be good at forming a defensive block,” he said. “It will depend on the different areas of the pitch. Even when we regroup and form a block, we must always look to nip forward. When there’s no pressure on the ball, with their quality, they will always put you in difficulty. We’ll need mentality and desire.”

The former Milan midfielder also addressed the recurring lapses in concentration that have troubled his team this season, admitting they have been fortunate. “We mustn’t have the 15 to 20-minute blackouts we keep having,” Gattuso said. “Against Monza, from the 57th minute onwards, we suffered little, but in those minutes, if they had scored three goals they wouldn’t have stolen anything, and against Milan it was a carbon copy. In Venice it was the same for 20 to 25 minutes, and that’s where we need to improve. We mustn’t get overrun. We need to hold the pitch better and read things better. We have to improve, because we’ve been lucky, and we have a goalkeeper with more than four goals prevented who is papering over the cracks. We have to improve if we want to keep going like this.”

On the personnel front, Gattuso confirmed that Luca Pellegrini has been reinstated to the squad list and will travel with the team. “Pellegrini has been reinstated to the squad list and will travel with us. The club decided that, and he is fully available,” he said, while keeping his starting line-up under wraps. “I won’t answer on the line-up, because I’d be giving the others an advantage. We’ll put out our best team.”

The coach also praised the impact of Taylor, whose work in the chains has been crucial. “When we play through our chains on the flank, he makes them work well. He drops deep and helps us get out of the first press,” Gattuso said. “I complimented him, because at the start he didn’t press like this, whereas now he goes at it with real vehemence. He’s a very important player for us, both in and out of possession, and I can see what he gives the team. His runs in behind when we work the chains also give us great solutions. Then we have to decide whether to keep him or Nuno in the central zone. It’s a question of occupying space and developing play well through the chains. For me he’s doing very, very well.”

Gattuso’s squad has impressed him across the board, with Belahyane singled out for his resilience. “We have increased the minutes in training and revved up the engine, and the squad always works with great seriousness,” he said. “We have a duty to grow. We also watch games like yesterday’s, where it’s played man-to-man, and if you get something slightly wrong they put you in difficulty. We need to read situations better. Against Monza I had a clear picture of the situations, and the problem is always there: we fall asleep and don’t get into our preventive positions. Against Monza, even five against two, they were always the ones winning the ball, and at that point you have to do a lot of running backwards.”

Reflecting on his coaching career, Gattuso was candid about the criticism he has faced. “If I had listened to everyone who commented on me over my 17-year career, I would have achieved a quarter of what I have,” he said. “I think that, in these years as a coach, not everyone has been honest with me. I’m not a whinger. Only one team wins, and then you have to look at the work done over the years. Fortunately I don’t lack anything. I love this job because football gives me butterflies in my stomach, and after two or three months at home I miss it. I enjoy this job more than when I was playing; I feel it’s more mine. Then in life you always have to prove yourself. There will be negative moments and smacks in the face. You have to accept them and move on. Today I’m a different coach from when I started 12 years ago. I have more knowledge, but there’s always something to learn and improve.”

As Lazio prepare for a stern test in Turin, Gattuso’s rallying cry remains consistent: respect the opponent but never fear them. The coach Juventus stronger than Lazio but we have no fear mantra will be put to the test on Sunday, and Gattuso is demanding a performance full of courage, intelligence and intensity. With the Serie A table still taking shape, a bold showing against the Bianconeri could signal Lazio’s genuine credentials as contenders this season.