JUVENTUS coach Marcello Lippi is playing down his Italian league leaders' fluctuating form as they prepare to face Lazio at the Olympic Stadium in Rome tomorrow night.

Juventus have been less than brilliant in recent league games, picking up only two points from three outings to see their Serie A lead reduced to two points over joint second placed Sampdoria and Internazionale.

In contrast, they left that form far behind them when overwhelming European Cup Winners' Cup holders Paris St Germain 6-1 in the first leg of the European SuperCup in Paris on Wednesday.

Yet Lippi believes that goal bonanza will have little impact on tomorrow's game.

"Every coach in this country knows that European soccer is one "thing and Italian soccer another," he said.

"In Paris we did well, even allowing for the fact that they (PSG) had just come back from their holidays.

"But I don't like talking of starting off again in the title race for the good reason that we never came to a halt in the first place.

"Perhaps we slowed down, but that was only in relation to the pace we were setting, an impossible pace."

Lippi will be without two important players in suspended French midfielder Zinedine Zidane and Croat striker Alen Boksic for the Lazio game.

Super sub Michele Padovano, scorer of four league goals this season, steps in for Boksic while Alessio Tacchinardi replaces Zidane.

Lazio, seven points behind Juventus in ninth place, come into the game with a full squad.

Former Juventus striker Pierluigi Casiraghi leads the attack alongside captain Giuseppe Signori and Roberto Rambaudi.

Czech international Pavel Nedved, Australian Paul Okon and Diego Fuser in midfield, along with Argentine Jose Chamot in defence, complete a strong Lazio line up.

Casiraghi said he was impressed by his ex team's win in Paris, adding: "I'm impressed by their ability to get nothing wrong in the games that matter . . . and that in itself is a big difference between us and them."

In this same fixture last year, Juventus suffered a rare drubbing when beaten 4-0, and Casiraghi is hopeful that his side can stage a repeat performance.

"It is not illusory to say that we can beat them, sure even their coach, Lippi, says they are not unbeatable," said Casiraghi.