Bologna vs Juventus
22nd June 2045hrs
Football – Italy – Serie A
Betting Pick: Both teams to score
Bookmaker Paddypower
Odds:8/11 odds taken 1000GMT, Saturday 20 June
Serie A has now resumed and Monday sees Bologna, chasing a Europa League spot, hosting Juventus who are one point ahead of Lazio at the top of the table.
Table of Contents
Bologna Preview – Can Bologna upset champions and stay in touch with the European spots?
Bologna were one of the surprise packages of the first half of the Serie A as they pushed for a European spot. Sinsia Mihajlovic is in his first full season in charge of the club having arrived last January, and is overseeing some real improvement. A run of five wins and three draws before football was stopped mean Bologna are five points off the top six. However, with Napoli winning the Coppa Italia in midweek – and with them likely to qualify for Europe through the league as well – it means seventh spot would also result in Europa League next season.
The gap between Bologna and Milan (who are currently seventh) is just two points which will give them real hope that they can achieve it. Parma and Verona sit above them too, however, so it’s a bound to be a really competitive run-in.
If Bologna are to continue their quest for European football and remain in contention then their home form is going to have to be better than it was immediately before the three-month break. It is just one win in their last five home matches, albeit they have only lost one in that time as well.
Drawing too many games could be their downfall come the end of the season if coming against teams they are directly competing with. However, a draw at home to the champions and current league leaders would probably be seen as a point gained.
JuventusPreview – Will Juve bounce back from Coppa Italia disappointment to stay top of Serie A?
This may be the first time Juventus play a Serie A match since the beginning of March but there has already been disappointment for Maurizo Sarri and his players. Juve lost out on penalties to Napoli in the final of that Coppa Italia on Wednesday. It deprived Sarri his first major trophy in Italy and only increased the frustration that has been building in Turin about the team’s style of play.
Not only did Juventus fail to score in the final, they also drew a blank against Milan in the second leg of the semi-final. That means it’s now three of their last four games where they have not scored a goal. Although none of them have been in the league.
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With Lazio breathing down their necks and just a point behind, Juventus are going to have to regain their form. And soon. They are used to challenges at this point of the season, however, with Napoli running them close in the past few seasons. It’s definitely a case of how good and consistent Lazio have been considering Juve have won 20 of their 26 league games.
All three of Juventus’ defeats have come on their travels and if they have a weakness then it is their away form. Two of them have come in their last three matches against Napoli and Verona – the other was in the capital against Lazio
Bologna vs Juventus Betting Advice
There is plenty on this game for both teams and the challenge is being able to hit the ground running after such a long break. Juventus do have some sort of advantage in that they have played two cup games since returning, although not impressive for either. For Bologna, this is first competitive game since the end of February. It’s a big ask to come back and get to a level of performance that they need for a result.
Juventus edged past Bologna when the teams met earlier in the season which was a seventh straight victory for them in this fixture.
Key Facts – Bolognavs Juventus Betting Tip
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- Bologna’s home form before the break was tailing off with just one win in their last five
- Juve’s last seven away games in the league have seen both teams scoring
- Juventus took the spoils in Turin earlier this season, winning 2-1 in October
Ordinarily, its hard to see past Juventus winning this game simply because that’s what we expect from them. However, they have been underwhelming in the two Coppa Italia outings and I’m happy to look elsewhere for a selection.
10 of Juventus’ last 12 away games in the league have seen both teams scoring, including all of their last seven. Incidentally, their last seven away games have also finished 2-1 – one way or another. 10 of Bologna’s last 11 home games have also seen both teams finding the net.
The best betting odds for Bolognavs Juventus
Bologna to win: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Juventus to win: 11/10 at Ladbrokes
