A brilliant performance by Sebastian Giovinco helped Juventus to a 4-1 victory against Bologna after they'd ended the first half 1-0 down, with the Atomic Ant also scoring and captain Alessandro Del Piero hitting a brace.
Juventus welcomed relegation-battling Bologna to the Stadio Olimpico of Turin, seeking to keep their Scudetto hopes alive. Coach Claudio Ranieri had Amauri out injured, while David Trezeguet was kept out of the squad due to his recent rift with the former Chelsea boss. That meant captain Alessandro Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta started in attack.
Meanwhile top scorer Marco Di Vaio played as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 system for the Bologna team coached by Sinisa Mihajlovic.
First Half
The visitors started strongly and made it difficult for the current runners-up in Serie A to make themselves dangerous.
The first chance came in the 16th minute for Di Vaio, who dribbled nicely past Olof Mellberg and tried a curling shot from the edge of the area, that went just wide.
Two minutes later, Bologna midfielder Sergio Volpi gave Gianluigi Buffon a scare with a terrific free-kick, but the Italy number one was able to hold on to it.
Massimo Mutarelli gave the Rossoblu a deserved lead in the 24th minute, as he received the ball from Di Vaio who played a brilliant pass into the area, and beat Buffon from close range with a shot that went between the goalkeeper’s legs.
The hosts nearly managed an immediate response with their first chance of the match. In the 26th minute, Sebastian Giovinco took a corner that curled wickedly and found its way onto the crossbar with goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli well beaten.
The ‘Atomic Ant’ made himself dangerous again in the 37th minute, when he went past Davide Bombardini after controlling the ball brilliantly, and fired a curling shot toward the goal, which was well blocked by Antonioli.
Giovinco continued to impress and two minutes later he set up Del Piero with a fine cross to the near post, but the captain headed it wide from an excellent position.
In the 41st minute Juve’s young playmaker won a free kick from a dangerous position, which as usual was taken by Del Piero. The captain showed his skill with set-pieces once again as he sent the ball just over the crossbar.
That was the last chance of a lively first half that ended with Bologna in a deserved 1-0 lead.
Second Half
Ranieri decided to make one half-time change, bringing in Christian Poulsen for Tiago Mendes.
The home side looked a lot more determined at the start of the second half, and on their first chance they found the equaliser. On a corner kick by Giovinco, the best man on the pitch, Hasan Salihamidzic, rose and headed the ball perfectly past Antonioli to make it 1-1 in the 48th minute.
Two minutes later Giovinco fashioned yet another chance for Del Piero, who was found unmarked inside the area but his volley went just wide of the post.
In the 53rd minute, Christian Molinaro played in a great cross from the left that was met by Del Piero, who tried to chip it past Antonioli, but he managed to keep it out with a great save.
It was a very hectic phase of the match with chances for both sides. A minute later, Buffon was put to the test as well on a header by Di Vaio on a corner kick which he managed to deflect with an acrobatic save.
At the other end, Mellberg forced Antonioli into yet another good reflex save as he tried to back-heel the ball into the net on a set-piece in the 57th minute.
Juve came agonisingly close to taking the lead in the 65th minute, when on a free-kick by Giovinco Del Piero headed the ball onto the crossbar.
The hosts finally did take the lead in the 71st, and it couldn’t have been anyone else than Giovinco, who saw his magnificent performance rewarded with a goal. On an assist by Iaquinta he struck a clinical shot from inside the area with the outside of his foot that found its way toward the far post.
Four minutes later, Del Piero made sure of the points for the home side as he received the ball on a long pass by Salihamidzic, went past defender Claudio Terzi, and placed the ball in the bottom corner beyond Antonioli’s reach.
Things were made worse for Bologna in the 80th minute, when defender Miguel Britos was forced to come off the pitch due to injury, leaving his side with ten men because Mihajlovic had already made his three substitutions.
Five minutes later, Iaquinta came close to adding a fourth for the Bianconeri, which would probably have been too much for Bologna. The former Udinese striker made a run from the left wing and tried a right-footed shot toward the far post, which went just wide of the target.
The fourth goal did come two minutes before full time, thanks to Del Piero, who received the ball from Salihamidzic and initially saw his shot saved by Antonioli, but on the rebound he did find the net and made it 4-1.
The Juve captain almost had his had-trick a minute later, when he fired a left-footed shot from the edge of the area that hit the crossbar with Antonioli beaten.
After scoring two goals and hitting the woodwork twice, Del Piero was taken off by Ranieri for youngster Ciro Immobile and received a standing ovation from his fans.
So ultimately a great second-half performance was enough for Juventus to beat Bologna after ending the first period 1-0 behind and keep their Scudetto hopes alive, although the scoreline was a bit harsh on Mihajlovic’s team. Del Piero and Giovinco were both brilliant tonight, and if they keep this up then Inter may not be uncatchable. Currently the Nerazzurri still hold a four-point lead going into their home match against Fiorentina tomorrow night.
Teams
Juventus (4-4-2): Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Marchisio, Tiago (46’ Poulsen), Giovinco (89’ Daud); Iaquinta, Del Piero (90’ Immobile). Coach: Ranieri.
Bologna (4-5-1): Antonioli; Zenoni, Britos, Terzi, Lanna; Bombardini (73’ Osvaldo), Mutarelli (52’ Amoroso), Volpi, Mudingayi, Valiani (61’ Adailton); Di Vaio. Coach: Mihajlovic.
Goals: 24’ Mutarelli (B), 48’ Salihamidzic (J), 71’ Giovinco (J), 75’, 88’ Del Piero (J)
Booked: Tiago (J); Mudingayi, Terzi, Zenoni (B)
Danilo Pochini,
Goal.com
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