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Bologna suffered their third defeat in a row when they welcomed Juventus to the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium on Monday night. The Bianconeri, who were expected to win the game before the match started, picked up their ninth straight win and now sit four points clear at the top of Serie A.
The match began with Bologna shoving for possession and trying to put Juventus on the backfoot. Both teams were clearly intent on playing very physical football, garnering over 25 fouls throughout the game.
The first goal came from a controversial VAR decision to hand a penalty to Juventus. A scuffle from a corner saw Mattijs de Ligt hit the ground inside Bologna's box, and after a VAR consultation, the referee gave the Bianconeri their first chance at goal. It was Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a four-match goal drought, who took the penalty and slotted it past the goalkeeper.
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Bologna looked a little defeated after conceding and struggled to hold on to the ball. The Turin giants, on the other hand, were quick to find their rhythm, dominate the proceedings and take charge of the game. However, the controversial penalty decision seemed to increase the game's tensions, with players getting into rougher tackles and making more mistakes in general.
The second goal for Juventus didn't take long to be scored. This time, it was Paulo Dybala who stunned the goalkeeper with a thundering finish into the top corner. De Ligt found space to move deep into Bologna's half to set up the attack. Federico Bernadeschi received the ball from the young Dutchman and backheeled it onto Dybala's path, and the attacker wasted little time in converting it into a brilliant goal.
The second half saw great chances for the Bianconeri- with Ronaldo's shots getting saved and Bernadeschi's effort hitting the bar- but nothing came out of it all. Ronaldo did score later in the game, but the goal was ruled offside.
Perhaps the most surprising event of the game was when Juventus left-back Danilo received two yellow cards in ten minutes. However, this happened with injury-time already looming, and Bologna were unable to use their extra-man advantage for anything tangible.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five hits and flops from the game.
#5 Juan Cuadrado - Hit
Juan Cuadrado may have played in more attacking and central positions in the past but he has clearly adapted to life as a right-back under Maurizio Sarri. The 32-year-old performed brilliantly on Monday, dashing forward at every opportunity, dribbling between opponents and getting fouled enough times to prove he was a real threat to Bologna.
Besides his attacking quality, his passing and vision were mostly accurate, and he showcased a defensive mentality that made Bologna incapable of making anything happen via their left flank.
#4 Stefano Denswil - Flop
With Juventus dominating possession for most of the game, there was a lot of pressure on the Bologna defenders to perform. The worst performance in their back-line perhaps came from Stefano Denswil. The Dutchman barely made any tackles, interceptions or clearances, and directly caused the second-highest number of fouls.
With below-par passing and an absence of long-ball accuracy, Denswil was unable to challenge and win any aerial duels. To his credit, he was the better passer compared to fellow centre-half Danilo, who had less than 80% of his passes on target.
#3 Federico Bernardeschi - Hit
Federico Bernardeschi showed a lot of vision with his key passes throughout the game, most notably his flick that led to the second goal for Juventus. His defensive output was also impressive, making three tackles and two interceptions.
Sadly for the 28-year-old, he was rather poor when it came to finishing in the final third. To his credit, Bernardeschi did hit the bar once and looked for more opportunities to score. However, he would have to accept his brilliant assist as the best part of his performance.
#2 Danilo - Flop
Seemingly walking in the footsteps of a certain Arsenal centre-back, Danilo was found wanting defensively on Monday. For someone who came on in the 66th minute and made only 8 passes throughout his brief 24 minutes on the pitch, picking up two yellow cards is simply shocking.
Little did Maurizio Sarri know he was substituting Mattia De Scligio off for someone who would make so many mistakes in such little time. Thankfully, Bologna were unable to capitalise on the opportunity, and Juventus went scot-free.
#1 Paulo Dybala - Hit
Playing only 78 minutes of the game, Paulo Dybala made an impact early in the game with a great run behind the defence and a dashing shot to beat the goalkeeper. However, it wasn't just his goal that ensured his brilliant performance. The Argentine was running into channels, taking his chances at goal and troubling a distraught Bologna defence for long periods.
The 26-year-old frontman synchronised well with Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi, and together, they unleashed thirteen shots towards Bologna's goal. While Dybala did struggle to keep his chances on target, his single goal and general performance will far outweigh his imperfections.
