Monday, February 22, 2010

Bologna 1-2 Juventus


Goals from Diego and Antonio Candreva enabled Juventus to secure back-to-back Serie A wins and move up to fourth in the table.

Diego's early goal for the Old Lady was cancelled out in the 50th minute by Antonio Busce - however substitute Candreva sealed the points midway through the second half to continue Juve's improvement under Alberto Zaccheroni.

The visitors, who came into the game on the back of a home league win over Genoa and Europa League victory at Ajax, got the boost of an early goal to calm nerves at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

Diego's shot was parried by Bologna goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano, but the Brazilian followed up to convert the loose ball and give Juve the lead.

The hosts, who came into the match unbeaten in six games, threatened in the 19th minute through Marcelo Zalayeta and soon after through Gabi Mudingayi, before Adailton's free-kick was narrowly missed by Busce.

Diego was denied a second goal by the woodwork in the 22nd minute, after Viviano could only parry a long-range shot from Claudio Marchisio into his path.

However, the hosts were unlucky not to be level in the 34th minute when they were awarded a free-kick as a result of Felipe Melo handling the ball on the edge of his own penalty area.

Adailton took the free-kick - but the 33-year-old Brazilian saw the ball crash back off the crossbar, with Italy international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon well beaten.

And at the end of the first half Bologna went close again when Roberto Guana shot narrowly wide of the Juve goal with his right foot, from the edge of the box.

Bologna did equalise five minutes into the second half when a cross from the left by Federico Casarini rebounded off the far post for Busce to tap in.

In the 63rd minute casual play from central defender Giorgio Chiellini almost cost the visitors. Uruguayan Zalayeta cleverly backheeled the ball into the path of Henry Gimenez - but with the goal gaping the substitute struck the near post.

And the miss proved costly as within three minutes Juve regained the lead when a superb pass from Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero set up Candreva - and the on-loan Udinese midfielder was clinical with a cool right-foot cross-shot across Viviano and into the far corner of the goal.

With 10 minutes remaining Viviano prevented Candreva making it 3-1 when he narrowed the angle well, before a bad day for the home side was capped in the 90th minute when Andrea Raggi was sent off for a foul on Melo.

The result moves Juve above Napoli and Sampdoria and keeps alive their hopes of European involvement next season.

Franco Colomba's Bologna side, who will be without injured talisman Marco Di Vaio for around a month, stay 14th in the standings - four points above the relegation zone.

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