Juventus will be keen to get back to winning ways when they take on Bologna at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Juventus will be seeking a first Serie A win since August when they welcome Bologna to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday. With just two wins in the opening seven games, Massimiliano Allegri and his charges cannot afford to have another slip-up.
The international break has allowed Juventus a chance to sit back and study where they are falling short while also helping them bring back several players to match fitness. This should give Allegri more options in terms of tactical flexibility going into the game. A reaction is required following the humbling loss to Monza before the international break.
Bologna, for their part, have won just one game and are within touching distance of the relegation zone. They can move to within a point of Juventus should they secure an unlikely win on Sunday. The Bianconeri have held the upper hand in this particular fixture, not dropping three points to Bologna since 2011.
Despite their superiority on paper, Juventus are there for the taking, and this could be something Thiago Motta can take advantage of. The Bianconeri have not responded well to teams taking the game to them, and it remains to be seen if Bologna will adopt a bold strategy. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they could employ.
Team News and Tactics
Juventus
? Watch as all the Bianconeri return back to base ahead of this weekend’s #JuveBologna ?
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) September 30, 2022
Massimiliano Allegri was given a boost earlier this week when the quartet of Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot and Alex Sandro returned to first-team training. Wojciech Szczesny is also back in the reckoning and could replace the impressive Mattia Perin in goal.
Marley Ake, Kaio Jorge, Paul Pogba and Federico Chiesa are still injured and are some time away from returning to active duty. Argentine international Angel Di Maria misses out due to suspension following his red card against Monza.
Allegri is likely to deploy his side in a 3-5-2 formation on the night. Szczesny will start in goal behind a back three of Gleison Bremer, Leandro Bonucci and Danilo. Juan Cuadrado and Filip Kostic will start as the wing-backs and will provide the width in the final third for Juventus.
Leandro Paredes will start at the heart of the midfield, providing cover to the defence. This will also allow Adrien Rabiot and Manuel Locatelli to push forward when in possession. An in-form Akradiusz Milik will start up front alongside Juventus’s ace striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, Bremer; Cuadrado, Locatelli, Paredes, Rabiot, Kostic; Vlahovic, Milik
Bologna
Thiago Motta could line his side up in a 4-3-3 and attempt to have a go at the porous Juventus backline. Bologna have little to lose on the night and can afford to play with some freedom. While the visitors have enjoyed good spells of possession over the last few games, they have been unable to make it count.
Bologna have a full-strength squad to choose from, and the international break will have allowed Motta to get his ideas across. Lukasz Skorupski should start in goal behind a back four of Lorenzo De Silvestri, Jhon Lucumi, Gary Medel and Charalampos Lykogiannis.
Practice makes perfect ?#WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/wC2SO5J8R9
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) September 29, 2022
Jerdy Schouten is likely to start at the tip of the midfield and will come up against Leandro Paredes. The battle could decide who gets the upper hand in the midfield. Nicolas Dominguez and Roberto Soriano will slot in alongside Schouten and keep things tight in the middle of the pitch.
Nicola Sansone and Riccardo Orsolini will aim to craft opportunities for Marko Arnautovic on the night. The latter two could also drop back to make the formation a 4-5-1 when not in possession. This could help negate Juventus’s numerical advantage in the midfield.
Arnautovic, in particular, is in top form and will represent Bologna’s biggest threat on the night. How well Juventus can marshal the Serie A September Player of the Month could prove decisive.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Skorupski; Silvestri, Lucumi, Medel, Lykogiannis; Soriano, Schouten, Dominguez; Orsolini, Arnautovic, Sansone
Key Stats
- Juventus have lost just one of their last 39 games against Bologna. This was back in 2011. A draw on the night will see Juventus play out consecutive stalemates in Serie A against Bologna for the first time since 2012.
- Bologna have lost 79 games to Juventus, more than any other side in the Italian top flight. Bologna have also drawn more games against Juventus (49) in Serie A than any other Serie A team.
- If Juventus fail to win on the night, it will be their second worst start to a Serie A campaign in the three points for a win era.
- Bologna have won just one of their 13 away games in Serie A in 2022.
- If he scores on the night, Marko Arnautovic will become the first Bologna player since Roberto Baggio to find the back of the net seven times in the first eight games of a season.
Player to Watch
Dusan Vlahovic
The Serb is arguably the best striker in Serie A but is currently on a two-game streak without a goal. This has had a direct impact on Juventus, with the Bianconeri failing to win both matches. Currently down in the eighth spot in Serie A, Massimiliano Allegri’s side are under threat of falling further away in the race for a top four spot, let alone a punt at the Scudetto.
A major setback for Juventus this season has been the lack of inspiration from their attackers. Vlahovic has largely been isolated upfront, and in the absence of Federico Chiesa, Juventus do not have a winger who can ably lay chances for the strikers.
Vlahovic will have to be at his prolific best to make the most of any chances to fall his way. As long as he has his shooting boots on, Juventus will have an easier job on their hands. Vlahovic is the ace in Juventus’s ranks, and it is time for him to step up and make the difference.
Prediction
Juventus 1-0 Bologna
With several key players back, Massimiliano Allegri will go into the game with several options at his disposal. Anything less than a win is unfathomable for the Bianconeri, who have struggled to get into any rhythm this season. Bologna are one of the weaker sides in Serie A and are, on paper, a poorer team than their Turin counterparts.
While Juventus are there for the taking, Allegri will know that dropping more points will only make the situation potentially untenable to his position. Juventus are likely to secure all three points courtesy of a narrow one-goal win, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 1-0 victory for the hosts.
