Bologna vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A Match

While next week’s Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich will undoubtedly be at the forefront of their minds, Juventus first needed to reinforce their position at the top of the standings by overcoming a rapidly improving Bologna.

The Bianconeri visited the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Friday evening, finding themselves trapped in a difficult 0-0 encounter that saw them fail to register a single shot on target over the course of 90 minutes.

It always appeared to be a problematic fixture for the Turin giants, with coach Massimiliano Allegri warning that the Felsinei must not be overlooked as he spoke to reporters at the traditional pre-match press conference.

“We absolutely mustn’t allow ourselves to think about Bayern, a game we’ll only focus on from Saturday morning onwards,” the Juve boss said. “The Bologna match is crucial for us because a win would take us four points above Napoli ahead of their game on Monday against Milan.”

Even with a raft of injuries and an ultimately disappointing result, they temporarily extended their advantage to two points, and what follows is a look at the winners and losers from the game, highlighting the best and worst performances from the Serie A clash.

Winner: Roberto Donadoni (Bologna)

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The Bianconeri struggled here, but much of the credit must go to Roberto Donadoni as the Bologna boss continues to compile an impressive record. Since arriving earlier in the campaign, he has lost just six matches, with Juventus becoming the latest side to struggle against his much-improved team.

Since December, the club have recorded wins over Napoli and Milan, also holding Fiorentina to a draw as Donadoni’s impact becomes increasingly apparent.

Loser: Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

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While Donadoni’s stock continues to rise, Alvaro Morata’s miserable campaign continued here as the Spanish striker struggled throughout the game. Giving the ball away repeatedly, he contributed to Juve’s complete lack of cutting edge, certainly never looking like breaking the deadlock at any point as he drifted wide on the left flank.

According to statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, Morata was disposed six times, took just one shot and completed a meagre 36 passes in an abject display. Juve will need much better if they are to have any impact against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening in Turin.

Winner: Amadou Diawara (Bologna)

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Juventus may boast the likes of Juan Cuadrado and Paul Pogba in midfield, but both men were arguably outshone here by Amadou Diawara. The Bologna man—still only 18 years old—never looked phased by his opponents, breaking up play and repeatedly winning the ball back for the Felsinei.

Statistics provided by WhoScored.com show Diawara registered three tackles, one interception and completed one dribble in a hugely impressive display.

Winner: Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)

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If Juventus took any credit from this outing, it was perhaps in the performance of Claudio Marchisio. The Turin native completed 91 pass attempts while making one tackle, three interceptions and one clearance, according to Who Scored.com’s figures.

Continually in the right place, he also blocked one Bologna shot attempt but was ultimately unable to help his side to victory.

Loser: Stefano Sturaro (Juventus)

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Like Morata, Stefano Sturaro struggled to bring the required intensity and quality here, lacking the skill or incisive edge to make a difference. Often finding himself with time and space, the former Genoa man repeatedly turned the ball over in one of his worst games since joining the Bianconeri in January 2014.