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Three-goal Juve beat Bologna

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Three-goal Juve beat Bologna
Three-goal Juve beat Bologna
Three-goal Juve beat Bologna

Juventus completed a convincing comeback to beat Bologna 3-1 at Juventus Stadium as goals by Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala and Sami Khedira helped the hosts to a first league win of the season at Juventus Stadium on Sunday evening.

The game began with an unwanted air of déjà vu, as, with just five minutes on the clock, the Rossoblu took the lead with their first attempt on goal, Anthony Mounier latching onto Adam Masina’s cross to volley past Gigi Buffon. The strike was the fourth time in as many league matches at home in 2015/16 that the Bianconeri had conceded their opponents’ opening effort.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men responded strongly to the setback, enjoying 66 per cent of possession and fashioning seven shots before finding a deserved equaliser in the 33rd minute, Morata heading in Khedira’s cross to register his maiden goal in this season’s Serie A.

The hosts continued to push forwards in search of a second and they would take the lead in the 52nd minute when Dybala converted from the penalty spot after Morata was fouled in the box by Alex Ferrari.

The Spain international played a big part in Juve’s third of the evening, as his cross for Khedira on 63 minutes ensured a reversal of roles from the Bianconeri’s opener, the German midfielder coolly placing his header past Rossoblu keeper Antonio Mirante.

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The goal effectively ended the contest with the visitors unable to create any opportunities of their own, besides a stoppage-time free-kick, during a final half-hour in which the Bianconeri comfortably controlled proceedings and saw out a win that puts them on eight points in the table before the international break.

The game, of course, might have been very different when Bologna took a fifth minute lead. Their goal came just moments after Morata had forced Mirante into a customary save in front of a vocal South Stand.

The Rossoblu quickly worked the ball down the other end of the pitch and Masina whipped in a wonderful cross for Mounier, who beat the offside trap to volley past Buffon. The Bianconeri keeper got his gloves to the shot but could not quite make the right contact with the ball to prevent the Frenchman from celebrating his third goal of the season since joining from Montpellier in the summer.

Allegri’s men immediately sought to make amends and Morata might have grabbed an equaliser in the eighth minute, but the Spaniard flashed a fierce effort narrowly over the crossbar.

A period of sustained pressure by the hosts would follow, as they controlled possession and fashioned a couple of half-chances including a Patrice Evra header that went wide of the mark, although Mirante was rarely troubled until Juventus drew level on 33 minutes.

The goal came about when Khedira, finding himself on the right wing, sent in a cross that deflected off the first defender to spin into Morata’s path, who nodded in his second in the space of four days.

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Mirante had to dive low to block Juan Cuadrado’s shot as Juve continued to dictate the play, but they were unable to get their noses in front before half-time.

And they were left wondering how they had not taken the lead just seconds after the break, when Morata missed a gilt-edged chance from ten yards out, shooting wide after collecting Cuadrado’s cross from the right.

Juve’s second strike of the evening would eventually arrive in the 52nd minute when referee Domenico Celi awarded the hosts a penalty after Ferrari dragged Morata down in the box. Up stepped Dybala, who sent Mirante the wrong way from 12 yards, netting his third of 2015/16 in Serie A.

Enjoying a lively match up front, Morata then brought a smart save out of Bologna’s stopper with a fierce drive that was bound for the top corner.

And the Spaniard was at the heart of the Bianconeri’s third goal on 63 minutes, picking out Khedira in space with a pinpoint cross and the Germany international kept his calm and composure to slot his header into the bottom corner.

With the hosts’ tails firmly up, Mirante was forced into blocking Dybala’s effort just before the 70-minute mark and that would be the game’s final shot on target as Juve saw out the victory, preventing the Rossoblu from having any further sights on goal until Mattia Destro curled a stoppage-time free-kick wide of the mark.

Allegri will be delighted with his team’s vastly improved cutting edge in front of goal, the character to respond to an early setback, but most of all the three points that see his men enter the international break on a high and in good spirits for the return of league action in two weeks’ time against Inter at the San Siro.

JUVENTUS

Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Khedira (Asamoah 90+2), Hernanes (Lemina 66), Pogba; Cuadrado, Dybala, Morata (Zaza 76)

Unused substitutes: Neto, Audero, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Padoin, Vitale

Coach: Allegri

BOLOGNA

Mirante; Ferrari, Oikonomou, Gastaldello (Rossettini 47), Masina; Rizzo, Diawara, Pulgar (Brighi 70); Brienza (Falco 77), Destro, Mounier

Unused substitutes: Da Costa, Stojanovic, Morleo, Crisetig, Mancosu, Mbaye, Acquafresca, Maietta, Crimi

Coach: Rossi

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