MX23RW : Sunday, April 17 03:18:41| >> :120:11447:11447:
[monks data]
Oct 19, 2019 at 7.45pm UK at Allianz Stadium (Torino)
Attendance: 40,461

2-1

Ronaldo (19'), Pjanic (54')
FT(HT: 1-1)

Preview: Juventus vs. Bologna - predictions, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews the Serie A clash between Juventus and Bologna, including predictions, team news and possible lineups

Juventus host Bologna as Serie A leaders once more following their 2-1 win over title rivals Inter Milan.

Bologna come into the clash with the reigning champions off the back of an ill-tempered 2-2 home draw with Lazio which extends their winless run to four games.


Match Preview

Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Juventus on October 1, 2019© Reuters

Juventus' win over Inter last time out was a significant result for the defending champions as they chase yet another Serie A crown.

It moved the Bianconeri to the summit of the league standings and saw Inter lose their first domestic contest of the season, leaving Juventus as the only remaining unbeaten side the division.

Goals from Paulo Dybala and substitute Gonzalo Higuain either side of a Lautaro Martinez penalty proved enough to settle the contest, and gives Maurizio Sarri the welcome headache of choosing which Argentine forward to pair with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Juventus have been their usual irresistible selves this season, with a pair of back-to-back draws against Fiorentina in Serie A and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League the only blip on an otherwise flawless campaign so far.

However, it appears that they have a real battle for the title on their hands again this year, with Antonio Conte's Inter capitalising on those two dropped points in Florence to go top of the league early on, and they now trail Juventus by just a point.

The Nerazzurri look set to provide Juventus with the sternest test of their title credentials since Sarri himself played the role of the plucky underdog with Napoli two seasons ago, narrowly missing out on the title.

Bologna are the next obstacle in the Bianconeri's path, and while they sit a respectable 11th in the table, only three points separate them from the relegation zone.

A decent start in which they went unbeaten in their first three games - winning two - has tailed off, with Bologna failing to register a victory in their next four.

Juventus form: DWWWWW
Bologna form: WWLDLD


Team News

Gonzalo Higuain in action for Juventus on September 18, 2019© Reuters

Sarri is dealing with a minor injury crisis at the back, with neither of his senior right-backs fit and available at present.

As a result, Juan Cuadrado will likely continue to fill in there out of position. The rest of the defence is likely to be as expected, although veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini's long-term absence is a big blow for the side.

Former Napoli and Chelsea boss Sarri has plenty of options in midfield, but has settled on a preferred trio of Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira, meaning that new signings Aaron Ramsey and, in particular, Adrien Rabiot have been used somewhat sparingly.

However, the major question mark over the Bianconeri's next lineup is certainly who will get the nod between Dybala and Higuain to start next to Ronaldo in attack.

For Bologna, their second red card in as many games means Gary Medel is unavailable, but Roberto Soriano is back in contention after being sent off late on in the 1-0 defeat to Udinese.

Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Cuadrado, Bonucci, De Ligt, Sandro; Khedira, Pjanic, Matuidi; Bernardeschi; Higuain, Ronaldo

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Tomiyasu, Danilo, Bani, Krejci; Soriano, Poli; Orsolini, Svanberg, Sansone; Palacio


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We say: Juventus 2-1 Bologna

Juventus have not made a habit of blowing teams away this season, with five of their six Serie A victories coming by a one-goal margin. Their quality makes them undoubted favourites to win, but the scoreline could be closer than expected once again.



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Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Juventus on October 1, 2019
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How Juventus could line up against Inter Milan
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1AC Milan33218458292971
2Inter Milan32209368254369
3Napoli32206658263266
4Juventus33189650292163
5Roma32176953361757
6Lazio33168965481756
7Fiorentina321751053401356
8Atalanta BCAtalanta31149853361751
9SassuoloSassuolo331210115853546
10Hellas VeronaHellas Verona32129115649745
11Torino321010123631540
12Udinese31912104749-239
13Bologna32108143545-1038
14Empoli33810154260-1834
15SpeziaSpezia3396183357-2433
16Sampdoria3385204056-1629
17CagliariCagliari33610173161-3028
18Genoa33216152454-3022
19VeneziaVenezia3257202658-3222
20Salernitana3147202569-4419

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