Serie A Preview: Bologna vs Juventus – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara forms the backdrop for a heavily anticipated Serie A top-four six-pointer between Bologna and Juventus. Despite sitting narrowly outside the top four, this fixture has all the makings of a Champions League qualification decider for the home team.

Vincenzo Italiano’s charges trail their more esteemed hosts by a single point after a scoreless draw at mid-table Udinese on Monday saw them lose grip on the coveted fourth spot. However, with four games still to go, Bologna remain firmly in contention for a second consecutive Champions League progression.

Monday’s gut-wrenching result at the Bluenergy Stadium was hardly sufficient to dampen a feel-good factor in Emilia-Romagna. Confidence is still high around the Bologna camp after the club secured their first appearance in the Coppa Italia final in over 50 years. If there’s a side capable of killing Bologna’s mood, it’s Juventus.

The Turin giants have not lost an away match against the Rossoblu in any competition since 1998 (W17, D7), though their last visit to Renato Dall’Ara produced a goal-glutted 3-3 draw. Another stalemate would hardly benefit either side, yet that’s recently been a common theme in this fixture.

Each of the last four meetings between Bologna and Juventus ended level, including a 2-2 draw in December’s reverse clash at the Allianz Stadium. Igor Tudor’s side will be out to buck this trend after defying a numerical disadvantage and 21% second-half possession to beat rock-bottom Monza 2-0 last weekend.

Match Preview

Bologna

Despite their patchy form across their last five outings (W2, D2, L1), Bologna should take the field in a buoyant mood. Indeed, they’ve turned Renato Dall’Ara into a fortress under Italiano, losing just once in Serie A home action all season (W10, D6).

Furthermore, they have won nine of their last ten competitive home games (D1). That should equip Bologna with confidence as they seek their first victory against Juventus in Emilia-Romagna this century. Taking the lead would be helpful but not decisive.

Indeed, they’ve drawn their last four matches against the Bianconeri despite leading at halftime on each occasion. However, they should at least hold up their end of the bargain and find the net, considering they’ve scored in their last 16 home matches across all competitions.

Conceding first should not be an issue, with Bologna going unbeaten in all five home league fixtures when falling behind this season (W3, D2).

Juventus

The abovementioned triumph against Monza saw Juventus bounce back from a dismal 1-0 defeat at bottom-half Parma on their last Serie A road trip. That loss remains the only blemish on Tudor’s otherwise near-flawless managerial record since replacing Thiago Motta in the dugout (W3, D1).

However, Juventus must do something they’ve failed to achieve all season to remain in the win column. Indeed, they have gone winless in all seven away league matches against teams starting this round in the upper half of the table (D5, L2), highlighting the magnitude of the task ahead.

As if that’s not troubling enough, Juventus have only won one road game in Serie A since mid-February (D1, L3), keeping just one clean sheet in that torrid sequence. That narrow 1-0 triumph at perennial strugglers Cagliari remains Juve’s only shutout in ten away league fixtures since the start of December.

Team News

Bologna are still without Swedish fullback Emil Holm and star winger Dan Ndoye. The Swiss forward’s absence will intensify the pressure on standout performer Riccardo Orsolini, who bagged a stunning overhead kick to help the Rossoblu beat Inter in their last home league game. Meanwhile, Italiano can recall Nicolo Casale.

An ominous-looking defensive crisis at Juventus is going from bad to worse. Federico Gatti and Lloyd Kelly have joined long-term absentees Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer on the sidelines. Problems keep piling up in attack too. Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik are unavailable for selection. Kenan Yildiz is also out with suspension.

Bologna vs Juventus Potential Starting Line-ups

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Calabria, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Dallinga.

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Savona; Weah, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; McKennie, Gonzalez; Kolo Muani.

Bologna vs Juventus Prediction

With only six league victories on the road this season, Juventus have struggled away from home, and an injury-depleted squad could be vulnerable to defeat at Dall’Ara. Also, Bologna should brim with confidence, with little to lose and everything to gain in a fiercely contested battle for a top-four finish.