Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira (right) is tackled by Maximiliano Oliveira, of Fiorentina.

Serie A leaders Juventus will try to extend their run of home wins this weekend after a turbulent week which featured a defeat away to Fiorentina and a backlash over a new club emblem.

The Turin side have won their last 26 home league games in Serie A but fourth-placed visitors Lazio have the potential to put that record to the test tomorrow.

Juve remain one point clear of Roma at the top of Serie A with a game in hand and still on course for a sixth successive title but recent events have hinted that their domestic stranglehold is being loosened.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri was publicly critical of his team after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat, their fourth in Serie A this season, which prompted the almost inevitable speculation in the Italian media about his leadership.

“Teams such as Fiorentina and Genoa play the game of a lifetime against us, so we must always raise our energy levels and give everything, because that’s what the opposition do with us,” he said.

“It’s going to be a battle and we need to fight it out for every single point from here to May 28. It won’t be easy.”

On Monday, the club got a mixed reaction after unveiling an emblem featuring a minimalist white letter J on a black background and without the bull, a symbol of the city of Turin which features on the old version.

Club president Andrea Agnelli said it had taken a year to design the new badge which “defines a sense of belonging and a style that allows you to communicate our way of being.”

“This new logo is a symbol of the Juventus way of living,” he added.

Many fans were not convinced by that explanation and vented their anger on social media while 52 per cent of those who responded to a survey in the sports daily Tuttosport said they disliked the change.

Allegri will have other things on his mind, however.

Fiorentina, who are in eighth place, exposed numerous cracks in his much-vaunted but ageing BBC defence, of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

Argentine pair Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala are still playing short of their potential in attack and Miralem Pjanic has failed to impose himself on the midfield in the way Juventus had hoped when they signed him from Roma.

Meanwhile, Roma, who have won six of their last seven league matches and brushed aside Sampdoria 4-0 in the Italian Cup on Thursday, have gained momentum and would expect to pick up another three points when they host Cagliari in tomorrow’s game.

Fixtures

Serie A

Playing today
Chievo vs Fiorentina - 18.00
Milan vs Napoli    20.45

Tomorrow – 15.00
Atalanta vs Sampdoria - 18.00
Bologna vs Torino    
Empoli vs Udinese    
Genoa vs Crotone    
Juventus vs Lazio - 12.30
Palermo vs Inter    
Pescara vs Sassuolo    
Roma vs Cagliari - 20.45

Standings: Juve 45; Roma 44; Napoli 41; Lazio 40; Milan 37; Inter 36; Atalanta 35; Torino, Fiorentina 30; Cagliari 26; Udinese, Chievo 25; Sampdoria 24; Genoa, Bologna 23; Sassuolo 21; Empoli 18; Palermo 10; Crotone, Pescara 9.

Serie B

Playing today – 15.00
Brescia vs Avellino                                  
Carpi vs Vicenza                                  
Cittadella vs Bari                                     
Entella vs Frosinone                                
Latina vs Verona                                     
Pisa vs Ternana                                        
Spal vs Benevento                                   
Trapani vs Novara

Tomorrow
Ascoli vs Pro Vercelli - 15.00
Salernitana vs Spezia - 17.30

Monday
Perugia vs Cesena - 20.30

Leading standings: Verona 41; Frosinone 38; Benevento, Spal 36; Cittadella 34; Carpi 32; Perugia 30; Entella, Bari 29; Spezia, Novara 28.