Preview: Bologna vs Juventus

The Juventus Men’s First Team turn their attention back to Serie A matters after a midweek win in Europe, with Matchday 15 seeing the Bianconeri head to Emilia-Romagna to take on Bologna. 

Fifth-placed Bologna sit on 25 points, two more than the Bianconeri after 14 matches. 

Let’s get up to speed ahead of Sunday evening’s 20:45 CET kick-off.

Interesting Facts

• Juventus are the side to have beaten Bologna the most times in Serie A (79). In all, the Bianconeri have scored 241 goals against them, fewer than only Milan (249) and Inter (243).
• Curiously, the Bianconeri are also the side to have drawn the most games against the Rossoblu (54), and the last five Serie A matches between these two sides have ended level, three of those 1-1, which is the most common scoreline in the fixture’s history (happening 25 times).
• Kenan Yildiz scored in his only Serie A appearance away to Bologna on 20 May, 2024. The no.10 ranks fourth in goal involvements in Serie A this season (eight, with five goals and three assists), with only Nico Paz (19), Lautaro Martinez (nine) and Christian Pulisic (nine) on more.
• Among players with at least 270 minutes played this season, Manuel Locatelli averages the most touches per 90 minutes (97). He is also second only to Luka Modric (499) in successful passes in the opposition half (490).
• Khephren Thuram’s only away goal in Serie A (of five in all) came against Bologna on 4 May of this year. Among Juventus players, only Francisco Conceicao (57) has more progressive carries of at least 10 metres than Thuram (51) this season.
• Conceicao leads Juventus players in successful dribbles this Serie A season: 24 out of 43 attempted.
• Weston McKennie is one appearance away from his 150th in bianconero. He scored his first Serie A goal against Bologna on 24 January, 2021.

Opposition Focus

• The Rossoblu haven’t beaten Juventus in 26 Serie A matches, going back to 26 February, 2011. They haven’t won at home against the Bianconeri since 29 November, 1998.
• This is Bologna’s second-best start to a Serie A season in the era of three points for a win, only managing better than their current tally of 25 points after 14 matches in 2002/03 (26 then). A win would officially see them better than start, as they drew their 15th match then.
• Riccardo Orsolini is one goal involvement away from 100 for Bologna, meaning he could become the first player to reach the milestone for the Rossoblu since Serie A has been a 20-team league (2004/05). He has 71 goals and 28 assists for them to date, and two goals against Juventus, both of which have come at home.
• Santiago Castro scored his first Serie A goal against Juventus on 20 May, 2024. Since, he has become one of three players to have scored more than 10 league goals (13, with Nico Paz on 10 and Kenan Yildiz also on 13).