Ace Football previews the Serie A match between Juventus and Bologna, and offers the latest betting tips, odds, and team news.
It’s an early afternoon kick-off for a change in Turin as Juventus welcome Bologna to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Fresh from their Italian Super Cup success, the hosts plan to build on their momentum by getting their Serie A title defense back on track. And with a 10-point gap to overcome, victory over 13th-placed Bologna is a must.
All signs indeed point to a home victory in this one, with Juventus having won beaten Bologna in their previous nine meetings in all competitions. They won 2-0 last time out in June, courtesy of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.
Juventus Form & Stats
Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata were on target to seal Italian Super Cup glory in a 2-0 win over Napoli last week. It was Andrea Pirlo’s first trophy as a coach and could prove a game-changer in the club’s campaign.
33 points from 17 games, in fact, is Juventus’ joint-worst start to a season in a decade alongside the 2015/16 campaign. Only three clean sheets have also come their way, despite boasting the league’s third-best defensive record on 18 conceded goals. Inconsistency, however, has been their biggest enemy so far.
The only constant has been Ronaldo and his prolific form. The Serie A top-scorer is determined to get the job done to move on from the 2-0 loss to Inter Milan and to regain momentum in the title battle.
The return of Matthijs de Ligt from COVID-19 should help Ronaldo and Juve. Alex Sandro is the only Bianconeri star in isolation now after Juan Cuadrado returned last week. Merih Demiral is also available after returning from injury.
Key Team Stats
- Won their last 4 home games with BTTS in all competitions.
- Won their last 9 league games against Bologna.
- Scored at least 2 goals in 8 of their last 9 league games against Bologna.
- Kept just 3 clean sheets in 17 league games.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has made 23 goal contributions in only 20 appearances (20 goals, 3 assists).
- Cristiano Ronaldo is averaging 4.7 shots-per-game in Serie A.
- Federico Chiesa has scored 3 goals in his last 4 league games.
Bologna Form & Stats
Riccardo Orsolini scored a penalty to snap Bologna out of an eight-match winless run to overcome Hellas Verona 1-0 last weekend. In fact, the former Juventus winger has made seven goal contributions (3 goals, 4 assists) this season already to help keep the club in contention for a top-10 finish.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men, however, have their work cut out. First, they’ll face Juventus on Sunday before then meeting AC Milan next weekend. And considering Bologna’s poor away record this term, along with their forgettable head-to-head records against these clubs, grabbing a result will prove to be a challenge.
The Rossoblu have included Ibrahima Mbaye and Gary Medel in their squad. The pair have returned from injury, although Federico Santander remains out. But the visitors have enough quality in reserve to cover for him and hope to spring a surprise result in Turin.
Key Team Stats
- Drawn 5 of their last 9 league games (W1 L3).
- Haven’t won back-to-back games since November 2020.
- Lost 8 of their last 12 away league games (W1 D3).
- Failed to score in their last 2 away league games.
- Only scored 7 goals in their last 10 meetings with Juventus.
- Roberto Soriano has made 11 goal contributions in 18 league games (6 goals, 5 assists).
Team News
Juventus
Out: Paulo Dybala, Alex Sandro.
Doubts: N/A.
Bologna
Out: Federico Santander.
Doubts: N/A.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Serie A
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in Serie A.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Bologna
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
