Bologna-Juve 1-1, penalty from Orsolini and goal from Milik

The last round of Juve’s black April ended with a draw in Bologna: a 1-1 draw which did not allow Allegri’s team to overtake Lazio and move into second position in the standings – as remains in the club’s objectives -, but which marks the end of the Lady’s points haemorrhage, after three consecutive home defeats in the league. A draw between lights and shadows, which, compared to the last few performances, showed a more compact and aggressive Juve in terms of character but still with great limitations in terms of maneuver. Bologna failed to take advantage of the initial advantage, then struggling to contain the black and white push but not giving up some dangerous flare-ups.

Bologna advantage

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Allegri in Bologna restarts from his loyalists, but also from the trident that sees Milik in the center, and Chiesa and Kostic on the wings, after Di Maria’s last-minute injury, not even on the bench, as well as the injured Kean. Four-man defense from the 1st minute, with Cuadrado back on the full-back line, with the Danilo-Gatti duo in the center and Alex Sandro on the left. Thiago Motta responds with the Orsolini-Barrow-Ferguson trio in front and a mirror line-up. The approach to the match is decisive and concentrated, the first penetration is by Chiesa, stopped in extremis by Kyriakopoulos. Then it’s Bologna’s turn, who pass in the first lunge: in the 6th minute Danilo touches Orsolini on the knee who snapped in the area, the Var screen at Dall’Ara doesn’t work but Lissone does: it’s a penalty. From the penalty spot, in the 10th minute, it was Orsolini himself who displaced Szczesny with his left foot, scoring his ninth goal of the season.

The run-up… but there’s Skorupski

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Juve accuses the blow but reacts: Chiesa is still playing the charge, rebounded for a corner. Then the Skorupski-show begins, who saves his goal on four occasions between 25′ and 32′, inaugurating the series with a close on Milik and continuing with a double close save on Fagioli’s conclusions. In the 29th minute a key moment of the match: Lucumi lands Milik, who also loses a shoe, on the area line. Var again and remote decision again, with the same result: it’s a penalty. In the 31st minute it was Milik himself who moved to the penalty spot, starting the run-up, invent a wretched hop and pull: again Skorupski is ready with an appointment for glory, like a minute later, on another foray by the Polish attacker. It’s an enterprising and aggressive Juve that crushes Bologna in its half, runs and creates chances. Like that of Locatelli, who in the 44th minute prefers a cross to a shot but there is no teammate ready to deflect into the box. And so the finish was all from Bologna, with Barrow calling Szczesny to make a decisive save in the 46th minute, followed by a “block” from Gatti. Another escape from him exalts the Juventus goalkeeper, but according to the referee he is offside.

Exchange and balance

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The second half didn’t give any noteworthy emotions until the substitutions: in the 58th minute Soulé and Iling relieved the squeezed Fagioli and Kostic. And the most important black and white flames of the second half were born from the feet of the new entrants: in the 60th minute Milik with his left foot found the right opening in which to put the ball in to make it 1-1, and three minutes later Iling sent it high at the invitation of the Argentine. The Pole hadn’t scored since 22 January (3-3 with Atalanta), for Juve it is the first goal by a forward since 1 April, when it was Kean who scored. Bologna makes Juve tremble with a header from Posh, then the Juventus loan Cambiaso also enters the field, and Miretti takes over from Chiesa. The game picks up the pace, Bologna becomes dangerous again, with Szczesny decisive twice in two minutes on a bicycle kick by Orsolini and deflecting a shot by Zirkzee for a corner. Juve went into trouble, Aebischer had the good ball in the 84th minute but missed aim. Same epilogue for Soulé who sends high from an excellent position. The finish is a pinball machine: even Cambiaso nearly doubles, once again Szczesny says no.