07 January 2017
When the Bianconeri host Bologna
With 39 wins, 25 draws and five defeats in the 69 matches played in Turin, Juve firmly hold the upper hand in their home clashes with Bologna and have triumphed in all of the last three meetings at Juventus Stadium.
The Rossoblù have lost more points to the Bianconeri than against any other side in Serie A, although they did hold Massimiliano Allegri’s men to a goalless draw last season – a result which brought an end to the champions’ 15-game winning streak between October 2015 and February 2016.
The last time Bologna managed to take points off their hosts in an away match was in September 2011 – their very first at Juventus Stadium – when Daniele Portanova cancelled out Mirko Vucinic’s opener.
The Bianconeri’s most recent home game against Sunday’s visitors saw Sami Khedira score his first goal since joining the club from Real Madrid after Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala (from the penalty spot) had put Juve in the lead after Anthony Mounier’s fifth-minute strike.
Facts from the form-book
Juventus head into Sunday’s contest top of the table and on the back of a history-making calendar year in which they collected 100 points and 33 victories.
Moreover, Massimiliano Allegri’s men maintained a 100 per cent win record in the league at Juventus Stadium, triumphing in all 20 Serie A home matches from Hellas Verona on 6 January to Roma on 17 December 2016.
The league leaders will be keen to continue their fine form in front of their fans this Sunday and victory over Bologna would set a new nationwide record of 26 successive Serie A home wins – a run which coincidentally started against Roberto Donadoni’s team in October 2015.
Bologna, meanwhile, sit in 15th place and on 20 points after 17 matches. After winning three of their opening five fixtures this season, the Rossoblù have managed only two victories since including a 3-0 victory away to Pescara on 18 December.
That success was their first in 14 attempts on their travels and they’ll be hoping to build on the result when they line up at Juventus Stadium this weekend.
Main men to monitor
Juve’s leading scorer this term, Gonzalo Higuain (13 goals in all competitions) will be looking to start 2017 in the same rich vein of form with which he ended last year.
Strikes against Dinamo Zagreb, Torino (x2) and Roma saw Pipita voted the Bianconeri’s MVP for December – an award he will receive just before kick-off against Bologna.
The Argentine has also made a habit out of netting past the Rossoblù with three goals in as many Serie A matches against Sunday’s opponents.
Miralem Pjanic too boasts a strong record against Bologna with two goals and three assists to his name in eight outings while playing for Roma.
Among Donadoni’s men, there are several players to have made their contributions so far this season:
Midfielder Blerim Dzemaili stands out for his all-round game with Bologna’s most shots on target (14), tackles (40) and passes in the opposition half (389) – a statistic shared with left-back Adam Masina.
23-year-old Masina has also made the highest number of overall passes (677) for the Rossoblù as well as defensive blocks (eight).
Another man to watch out for is left-sided forward Ladislav Krejci, a key creative force for Bologna. The Czech tops his side’s charts for crosses (80) and assists (three).
