Juventus edged out a gritty 1-0 victory over Bologna in a Serie A clash defined by a chaotic second half.
For the first hour, the match was a war of attrition. The tension was palpable early on, with the referee reaching for his pocket to book Juventus’s T. Koopmeiners and Bologna’s J. Miranda within the first 25 minutes. However, the tactical landscape shifted dramatically just past the hour mark. Following the introduction of substitutes J. David and A. Cambiaso, Juventus found their breakthrough. In the 64th minute, J. Cabal found the back of the net to silence the home crowd.
Bologna immediately looked to respond, bringing on L. Ferguson and T. Dallinga, but disaster struck just moments later. In the 69th minute, T. Heggem was sent off with a red card, leaving Bologna with a mountain to climb and only ten men to do it.
The statistics paint a picture of Juventus’s superior quality in the final third. Despite possession being split almost perfectly down the middle (50.6% for Bologna), the visitors generated a commanding 1.65 Expected Goals (xG) compared to Bologna’s meager 0.65. Bologna did manage 12 shots, forcing four crucial saves from the Juventus goalkeeper, but they could not find a way through the visiting defense, which recorded 19 effective clearances.
As the clock ticked down, Bologna’s discipline unraveled further, with I. Sulemana and L. De Silvestri picking up yellow cards in the 90th minute. Ultimately, Cabal’s strike and a disciplined defensive performance ensured the points went back to Turin.
