Juan Cabal explains his goal celebration after giving Juventus victory against Bologna, while Lloyd Kelly admits they ‘had to play our best football’ tonight.
The Bianconeri needed a boost after last week’s 1-0 defeat to Napoli, and knew this was a crucial head-to-head for European places, as they were two points behind Bologna.
It was substitute Cabal who proved decisive with a free header on the Kenan Yildiz short corner routine, followed five minutes later by Torbjorn Heggem seeing red for bringing down Lois Openda.
Cabal and Kelly evaluate Juventus win
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Juan Cabal of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
“I swapped shirts with Bernardeschi, who played for Juve, so I wanted his shirt. He was at Juventus, I saw him play a lot, and wanted to bring home the shirt as well as the three points. The team gave their all today,” Cabal told DAZN Italia after the final whistle.
He seemed to celebrate by kissing his wrist, so what was the meaning behind that gesture?
“I kissed the tattoo with my son’s name, I got it done recently, and he brought me good luck.”
Cabal has struggled for regular playing time so far this season and Luciano Spalletti wants more consistency from the wing-back.
“The coach wants a lot from me, because he knows I have much to give this team and I work really hard all week.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Lloyd Kelly of Juventus is challenged by Thijs Dallinga of Bologna during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Former Newcastle United defender Kelly also spoke to DAZN Italia after the success at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
“It is a very important win, we know it’s a difficult game. We had to play our best football to be able to come away with a win today,” Kelly told DAZN Italia.
Gleison Bremer made his comeback as a substitute this evening, his first appearance since facing Atalanta on September 27, but Teun Koopmeiners was booked and will be suspended next week against Roma.
“It’s nice to have Bremer back, we know he’s an important player for Juventus, and I’m sure he’s happy to be back with the team too.”
Vincenzo Italiano insists the defeat to Juventus ‘does not diminish’ Bologna and their campaign, as they couldn’t recover from the double whammy of goal and red card.
The Rossoblu have really hit problems in Serie A during recent weeks, as this was their second consecutive home defeat after the 3-1 to Cremonese, and they have just one point from the last three rounds.
It was a free header from Juan Cabal on a short corner that proved decisive, followed five minutes later by the red card for Torbjorn Heggem as he brought down Lois Openda.
Italiano recognises Bologna strengths and weaknesses
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, looks on the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
“We were up against a strong opponent that found itself ready in the big moments, with the physicality of Thuram, the experience of Locatelli, the dynamism of Cambiaso and McKennie,” Italiano told DAZN Italia.
“In my view we were in the thick of the game, we created chances and lost it on a set play. We then made life complicated for ourselves with the red card, but we were right in it up until then.”
There were some defensive weaknesses on show, not just on the corner for the goal, but also struggling with long balls over the top.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, greets Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
“We should’ve been a bit quicker to isolate Cambiaghi and Orsolini on the wings, but when you are too slow to create those overlaps, McKennie and Cambiaso get back to make it a five-man defence.
“As for the long ball, we can struggle at times, but Heggem got the ball stuck under his feet and wasn’t aggressive enough to clear, so he ended up running into the player. We made too many mistakes overall, a few too many touches and passes,” continued Italiano.
“It can happen when you’ve had this many games, we arrived home on Friday at 5am and had only one training session to prepare. That’s not an alibi, because we had that other times and won, but just being in the game for so long I think was good.
“All those who played on Thursday were struggling, because it was raining so hard in Vigo and the pitch was very heavy, so I had to rotate and preferred to start those who were at 100 per cent.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Lois Openda of Juventus is challenged by Emil Holm of Bologna during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Bologna did manage to give their Europa League prospects a significant boost on Thursday with a 2-1 victory away to Celta Vigo, but despite squad rotation this evening, they seemed to lack sharpness.
“We perhaps weren’t as precise as usual, but Juve deserve credit for making us struggle and run hard tonight. Perhaps with these three big games one after another, some fatigue set in, but this result does not diminish the team at all,” added Italiano.
“We’re disappointed to have lost this evening, but we lost against a Juventus side who will challenge for the top spots this season and our journey continues. We are in the Supercoppa Italiana next week and we must be proud of that.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Torbjorn Heggem of Bologna leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Now Italiano will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana, where they take on Inter in the semi-final, as they are the Coppa Italia holders and will therefore face the runners-up of the Scudetto.
The other semi-final is between Napoli and AC Milan, with the two winners going head-to-head on December 22.
Luciano Spalletti insists the victory over Bologna was ‘the most important’ of his Juventus career so far, but notes where Juan Cabal, Lois Openda and Jonathan David can improve.
The Bianconeri knew the importance of this fixture, as they were two points behind Bologna in the Serie A table, so it was a head-to-head for European places.
Was this the most important victory of Spalletti’s time at the club so far?
“Absolutely, because we were facing a team that has an identity, quality and enthusiasm, they were built well and even down to 10 men made it difficult for us,” Spalletti told DAZN Italia.
“Having won here means even more for my players, and they must be congratulated this evening. They did really well.”
Spalletti saw Juventus progress
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Juan Cabal of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Both sides had chances in the first half, but the game changed in the space of five minutes when first substitute Cabal nodded in a Kenan Yildiz cross on a corner, then Torbjorn Heggem saw red for bringing down Openda.
“I had seen things done well in training, and told the directors that I saw the players energetic and reacting well in training. We needed a performance that could give them confidence, and I hope after this we can continue to improve,” continued Spalletti.
“Aside from the goal, the overall performance needs to be evaluated in football. Juventus were in the heart of the game for 90 minutes tonight, battled for every ball, went beyond these individual duels that Bologna force you into, and this bodes well for the future.
“Cabal must learn to keep some of his emotions in check. He is like a pedigree horse with his strength and ability to sprint repeatedly, he has talent with back-heel flicks, but talent is also repeating the 100 metre runs 20 times. He doesn’t mind being in one-on-one situations, is good in the air, but in the games he played so far he wasn’t precise enough for his talent, so I had to be hard on him.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Openda was another substitute who made an impact tonight, as he fought hard and got Heggem sent off, but also missed some sitters.
“I liked his performance. Openda is a different player to Jonathan David, who frankly seems more like a second striker to me than a centre-forward, as he combines with teammates. Openda has more power, and probably against teams like Bologna feels more at ease, because he can run at them with sheer pace when those spaces open up,” concluded Spalletti.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, greets Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
This result means Juventus climb above Bologna into fifth place awaiting Como’s trip to Roma tomorrow, while they also steadied the Champions League ship with a midweek 2-0 win over Pafos.
Gleison Bremer made his comeback after two months out, but Teun Koopmeiners was booked and will therefore be suspended next week against Roma.
The Colombian scored the only goal of the game from a set-piece, which has sent Juventus above Bologna by one point in the Serie A standings. The Bianconeri sit in fifth place as things stand, one point behind Roma who will host Como at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday night.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Juan Cabal of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Best Bologna player: Orsolini 6.5 – To little surprise, Bologna’s most threatening outlet on the night. He had more shots and shots on target than any other player in the game, and was a handful for Koopmeiners until the Dutchman came off.
Coach: Vincenzo Italiano 6 – Statistically, it was a fairly evenly-fought contest at the Dall-Ara. The hosts had 51% of the possession, had one shot fewer than their opponents, but had one more on target. Had it not been for a momentary switch-off from a set-piece, Bologna had done more than enough to earn a draw, which would have suited them better than Juventus.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Manuel Locatelli and Bremer of Juventus celebrate following the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Best Juventus player: Cabal 7 – Two goals in six Serie A appearances for the Colombian now. Immediate impact off the bench on Sunday evening, evading his marker to claim a free header in the middle of the Bologna penalty area. That was a big confidence boost to begin his evening.
Coach: Luciano Spalletti 6.5 – That was a big six-pointer in the race for Champions League football, and the perfect way to bounce back after a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Napoli last time out in Serie A. Had Juventus been a touch more clinical, that would have been a slightly more flattering scoreline. Still, managed the game well after going ahead, even if their life was made easier with Heggem’s sending off.
Juan Cabal came off the bench to snatch all three points for Juventus against 10 men, continuing the dire Bologna record in this fixture, and leapfrogging them into fifth place.
This was a direct battle for position, as the Rossoblu were two points ahead in the table. Juve lost last week to Napoli, but boosted their Champions League chances in a midweek win over Pafos. Daniele Rugani and Gleison Bremer were back on the bench, but Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti, Arek Milik and Carlo Pinsiglio were still out. Bologna’s Serie A form stalled with defeat to Cremonese and a draw against 10-man Lazio, but on Thursday they won 2-1 away to Celta Vigo in the Europa League. Nicolò Casale joined Martin Vitik, Remo Freuler and Lukasz Skorupski on the treatment table.
Incredibly, Juve were unbeaten at the Dall’Ara since November 1998 and hadn’t lost to Bologna at all since a 2-0 result in February 2011.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, greets Vincenzo Italiano, Head Coach of Bologna, prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
There was an early double Michele Di Gregorio save, first on Tommaso Pobega’s acrobatic flick from a free kick, then the Riccardo Orsolini follow-up at the back post.
Orsolini’s trademark curler was smothered and Teun Koopmeiners was booked so will be suspended next week against Roma, but David overhit the through ball to Kenan Yildiz after pouncing on a Lewis Ferguson error.
Weston McKennie only grazed his head to the Andrea Cambiaso cross, while David had penalty appeals waved away for going down too easily under a Jhon Lucumi nudge.
Juventus had the ball in the net on 36 minutes when David flicked on a long ball for McKennie, who won the ricochet off on-rushing Ravaglia and generously rolled across for the Canadian to deposit into an empty net. However, McKennie was offside on the initial flick.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Jonathan David of Juventus is challenged by Torbjorn Heggem of Bologna during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Juve kept coming close, but not close enough, as Ravaglia rushed out when Kenan Yildiz found Conceicao with a smart pass, then Lucumi made the crucial interception as Khephren Thuram tried to set up the Portuguese talent.
Yet Bologna had a huge chance on the stroke of half-time, as Orsolini’s inspired disguised pass released Nadir Zortea to thump his finish against the underside of the bar from a tight angle with Di Gregorio just getting his fingertips to it.
Bologna had rather hopeful penalty appeals, but Manuel Locatelli’s hands were clamped behind his back when blocking the Cambiaghi cross.
Juventus finally found a breakthrough when Kenan Yildiz saw his control and strike deflected inches over by Heggem. The resulting corner was taken short for a Kenan Yildiz cross that found substitute Juan Cabal for a totally free header from six yards.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Juan Cabal of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
The situation went from bad to worse for the hosts, as soon after Heggem got caught out by a long Di Gregorio ball and bundled Lois Openda over outside the area for a straight red card.
There was more good news for Juventus, as Gleison Bremer made his comeback for the final 15 minutes, the first appearance since the meniscus injury on September 27.
Conceicao had penalty appeals rejected after running into Lucumi’s arm, infuriating the defender, while Federico Bernardeschi’s effort failed to trouble Di Gregorio.
Ravaglia kept the scoreline down with a great one-handed save on Openda’s daisy-cutter from 12 yards on the Cabal lay-off, then Openda fired another promising opportunity over in stoppages.
It is the second consecutive Serie A home defeat for Bologna after the 3-1 with Cremonese.
This is a face-off for European places, because the Rossoblu are currently two points above the Old Lady in the table and would like to take advantage of a general slowdown in the top spots this weekend.
“We have for over two years been doing very well, so the lads and all of us know that we can have our say,” Di Vaio told DAZN Italia.
“Every game is different, Juve have great players, but we are well aware that we’re competitive and can play our game too.”
Bologna history against Juventus is astonishing
epa12073982 Bologna’s Remo Freuler (2-L) scores the 1-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match Bologna FC vs Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna, Italy, 04 May 2025. EPA-EFE/ELISABETTA BARACCHI
An extraordinary statistic is that Bologna have not beaten Juventus in all competition since February 2011, a 2-0 result in Turin decided by a Di Vaio brace.
They haven’t defeated Juve at the Stadio Dall’Ara since a 3-0 result in November 1998.
“I was just telling my daughter in the car on the way here that I am so tired of being told that I was the last Bologna player to score a winner against Juventus,” confessed Di Vaio.
“I look forward to someone else taking my place in that statistic, because it’s been too long. We had great results in recent years beating just about all the big clubs, but not Juventus yet.”
BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 04: Khephren Thuram of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates during the Serie A match between Bologna and Juventus at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on May 04, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
The team slowed down in Serie A recently, with a defeat to Cremonese and draw against 10-man Lazio, but boosted morale with Thursday’s comeback victory away to Celta Vigo in the Europa League.
Federico Bernardeschi scored twice in Spain and he represents a different kind of player to the young and promising prospects that Bologna had focused on before.
“Last season we were in the Champions League and realised we were lacking something in terms of experience at that level, so we approached both Federico and Ciro Immobile too, making the most of their situations to bring them here.
“Having players who starred and won at the highest level was something we had been lacking, as that influences the others,” explained Di Vaio.
Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini reassures the Agnelli family and the club are ‘one and the same,’ while Khephren Thuram and Kenan Yildiz are going nowhere.
The trip to Bologna kicks off at the Stadio Dall’Ara at 19.45 GMT.
The Bianconeri went into the weekend in seventh place and sitting two points behind Bologna, so this is a crucial head-to-head for European spots.
Chiellini speaks out on Juventus headline issues
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 13: Giorgio Chiellini attends the Gold Carpet during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
There have been reports that Juventus could swap Khephren Thuram with Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi in the January transfer market.
“I won’t talk about Frattesi, as that’s a lack of respect towards Inter. What I can say without doubt is that Thuram will remain a Juventus player. He has done really well in the year and a half he’s been with us and we have no intention of letting him go,” Chiellini told DAZN Italia.
The big news this week was that cryptocurrency firm Tether, who are already minority shareholders, launched a shock takeover bid to purchase all the remaining shares from the Agnelli family holding company Exor.
SPA, BELGIUM – JULY 28: John Elkann, Chairman and CEO of Ferrari looks on, on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2024 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
“They were important words, strong words, but for those who know the atmosphere, they were not surprising. When we think of the Agnelli family, we think of Juventus, and vice versa. They are one and the same. That’s how it has always been and that’s how it will be in future,” added Chiellini.
“So there’s nothing more to say other than we will build Juve back to the strength they had in the past and will again in the future. There are values at Juventus that get passed from generation to generation, but we also look to the future.
“It has unfortunately been five years since we last won the Scudetto, we feel the responsibility of that, but it takes nothing away from our confidence going into the future. Above all, the owners and Juventus are a single insoluble entity.”
FLORENCE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus FC in action during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Juventus FC at Artemio Franchi on November 22, 2025 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
If the club had been sold, would Chiellini still have been dealing with negotiations for the new Kenan Yildiz contract?
“I haven’t the foggiest idea, but that’s not an issue I will need to think about! Kenan is an important player, he has a long contract, it’s not a situation that gets sorted out in a week. The important thing is that we both want to carry on together, his contract doesn’t expire in six months, so there’s no rush, but we want to improve the contract so it is suited to his status.”
Juve got back on track in the Champions League midweek with a 2-0 victory over Pafos, a much-needed result after last week’s Serie A loss to Napoli.
Francisco Conceicao joins Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan David upfront for Juventus in a showdown for position with Riccardo Orsolini’s high-flying Bologna.
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie C match between Ternana Calcio and Juventus Next Gen at Allianz Stadium on December 02, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Going into this weekend, Bologna are two points ahead of Juve in the table, so it is a big clash for Champions League places.
Both teams are also coming off midweek European victories that boosted their confidence.
Juve really needed it after their Serie A defeat to Napoli, which left them languishing in seventh.
Daniele Rugani and Gleison Bremer returned to the bench in their 2-0 win over Pafos, but Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti, Arek Milik and Carlo Pinsoglio are still out.
David scored in Europe and is again chosen to lead the attack with support from Kenan Yildiz and Conceicao.
Jonathan David scores for Juventus against Pafos in the Champions League (@juventusfc)
Bologna stalled their Serie A progress in recent weeks with defeat to Cremonese and a 1-1 draw against 10-man Lazio.
Nicolò Casale limped off with a thigh strain in that game, joining Martin Vitik, Lukasz Skorupski and Remo Freuler on the absentee list.
Thijs Dallinga gets the nod upfront rather than Santiago Castro after Thursday’s 2-1 comeback Europa League success away to Celta Vigo.
Orsolini, Lewis Ferguson in a more advanced role and Nicolò Cambiaghi are in support.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – OCTOBER 05: Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna FC 1909 celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Pisa SC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Luciano Spalletti has confirmed his squad of 23 Juventus players to take on Bologna at the Dall’Ara on Sunday evening, in a game that is already crucial in the race for the Champions League positions in Serie A.
The Bianconeri sit in seventh place in the Serie A standings ahead of kick-off with 23 points to their name thus far. Bologna are two points and two positions above them in the table as things stand.
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Spalletti has named the exact same squad of players that he did against Pafos for this evening’s match against Bologna.
Defenders Gleison Bremer and Daniele Rugani have returned to the squad against Pafos, and have been selected again for the Bologna trip, but it remains to be seen whether either of them will earn any minutes on this occasion. Pre-match reports suggest that it will be a back three of Pierre Kalulu, Lloyd Kelly and Teun Koopmeiners again on Sunday.
Khephren Thuram is expected to return to the midfield after Fabio Miretti’s opportunity midweek, while Francisco Conceicao could come into the team in place of Edon Zhegrova in attack.
Juventus are without Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti, Arkadiusz Milik and Carlo Pinsoglio.
Confirmed Juventus squad vs. Bologna
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 02: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie C match between Ternana Calcio and Juventus Next Gen at Allianz Stadium on December 02, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Kenan Yildiz will lead the Juventus attack in a tricky match at Bologna this evening.
It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at a sold-out Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna.
The Rossoblu and Juventus compete for a spot in the top four, and the home side has three points more than the Old Lady in the Serie A standings.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – OCTOBER 05: Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna FC 1909 celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Pisa SC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Bologna will be involved in the Supercoppa Italiana next week, so their coach, Vincenzo Italiano, could slightly rotate his squad.
As reported by Sky Sport and other Italian media, Jhon Lucumì will return to the starting XI, joining Torbjorn Heggem in central defence and Lewis Ferguson is also expected to feature in the Rossoblu line-up after starting on the bench against Celta Vigo earlier this week, as he was not fully fit.
Thijs Dallinga and Santiago Castro compete for a starting spot in attack.
NAPLES, ITALY – DECEMBER 07: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 07, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Juventus will make no changes in defence as Gleison Bremer is available, but still not fit to start. Jonathan David is expected to start again up front with Yildiz and Francisco Conceiçao playing as attacking midfielders.
Bologna vs. Juventus – where to watch on TV
The match will be televised on TNT Sports 1 and DAZN in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will cover today’s Serie A action with a liveblog.
The Supercoppa Italiana Final Four is coming up next week, so check the location, kick-off times, and the prizes at stake for Napoli, Inter, AC Milan and Bologna.
The format of the tournament remains the same after last season, so rather than be a traditional clash between the winners of the Scudetto and the reigning Coppa Italia holders, it is expanded to four teams.
The trophy holders therefore face the runners-up of the other competition, then the winning teams take on each other for the Final.
That means Napoli face AC Milan in one semi-final on Thursday December 18, kicking off at 20.00 GMT.
Bologna then play against Inter in the other semi-final on Friday December 19, also at 20.00 GMT.
The winners of these two matches then go head-to-head on Monday December 22, again at 20.00 GMT.
There is no extra time, so if two teams are level after 90 minutes, they go straight to a penalty shoot-out.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JANUARY 06: Christian Pulisic of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Italian Super Cup Final between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Kingdom Arena on January 06, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
According to Calcio e Finanza, the total prize pot for the tournament is €22.5m, with the winners getting €9.5m plus a further €1.5m to play a friendly against the team that takes the Saudi Super Cup.
The two losing semi-finalists should get €2.4m each, while the beaten Finalist can expect €6.7m.
AC Milan won it last season, beating Inter 3-2 in the Final.
Luciano Spalletti says Juventus will no longer go into a training retreat before games and confirms he has suggested ‘everyone’ to hire Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano, ‘not just to President Aurelio De Laurentiis.’
Spalletti’s Juventus will visit Bologna at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Sunday, meeting a direct rival in the race for the top four.
Bologna, in fact, are three points above the Old Lady, who ranks 7th in the Serie A table.
Spalletti previewed tomorrow’s match at a press conference, starting with team news.
Bologna-Juventus: Spalletti’s press conference
TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 04: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Juventus and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Juventus Stadium on November 04, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
“Daniele Rugani can already be deployed. As for Bremer, because of his previous injury, he still needs time, and we must be cautious even if he’s available and wants to be there,” Spalletti told reporters via Ilbianconero.com.
Asked whether he’ll have more time next week to test a four-man defence in training, Spalletti replied: “I’m still surprised when I hear about systems in the field. In today’s football, it has changed a little. You don’t win by occupying positions, but spaces, deciding where you want to bring the game. We are going towards one-on-one across the pitch, and we have to adapt. It’s true that I want to use a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, trying to do something different, but it’s just the starting point because the game forces you to use other systems during the match.”
Francisco Conceiçao made a substitute appearance in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Pafos, contributing to a 2-0 win, but Spalletti expects a further step forward from the Portuguese.
“His development lies in becoming more decisive. He needs to increase the chances of scoring and be more determined in the attacking phase,” said the Juventus boss.
“He has this lethal outburst of pace that puts you in real trouble when he accelerates. Let’s also add some defensive phases, some duels, but I’ve seen great willingness to track back and help out, so we’re on the right path.”
The Juventus tactician was full of praise for Bologna and their coach, Italiano, confirming he had suggested Napoli hire the Bologna boss in 2023.
Spalletti on Italiano
UDINE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Vincenzo Italiano, manager of Bologna, celebrates with supporters at the end of the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Friuli on November 22, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
“There are certainly things you can learn from Italiano. For me, he’s one of the best young coaches we have, and I’ve told everyone to get Italiano, not just President De Laurentiis.
“Credit goes to the coach and those who built the team. They have great quality and know exactly where they want to go,” continued Spalletti.
“They fear nothing and force you into a huge number of duels; they don’t care about how much space they leave behind. We have to break down these fences, not go man against man, but beyond the man. If we are not ready for this, it will be a complicated evening for us to talk about.
“Personality is a fundamental aspect of football. In the past, it only belonged to those who dared a risky play; today, is about accepting a full-pitch battle, pushing the opponents into the spaces you want, beyond the technical gesture,” Spalletti added.
“One single play might be enough to get a passing grade [from the media], but to play like a champion, you have to be in the heart of the team for 90 minutes and close to the ball.
“No one will convince me not to expect great things from these lads; no one will convince me that they aren’t good. A coach has to be obsessed with the idea of improving the team.”
Last but not least, Spalletti said the team would no longer go into a training retreat before matches, which means they won’t travel to Bologna until tomorrow morning.
“A training retreat isn’t a place, but a mental condition,” concluded Spalletti.
“We won’t do it anymore because, as far as I’m concerned, it’s an extra burden. If you are dealing with a group of players with the right mental condition, like those at Juventus, you don’t go into a training retreat. Whoever plays for Juventus is always in this mindset, so we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
Italy have stepped even further clear of Spain, but are still locked in a battle with Germany for an additional spot in next season’s Champions League after the conclusion of Thursday night’s Europa and Conference League ties.
It was a step in the right direction for Italy’s hopes of securing an additional Champions League spot for 2026-27, as all the Serie A representatives secured victories on Thursday night.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – DECEMBER 11: Matias Soule of AS Roma celebrates with teammates, after Liam Scales of Celtic (not pictured) concedes an own goal resulting in the first goal for AS Roma, during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Celtic FC and AS Roma at Celtic Park on December 11, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Where Italy stands in race for extra Champions League spot
MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 11: The UEFA Champions League trophy is cleaned as it is displayed on a plinth at the side of the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and Feyenoord at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on March 11, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The situation leaves Italy in third place in the UEFA seasonal association coefficient rankings. This is what is used to determine which two nations receive an additional Champions League spot.
The UEFA tables are expected to be officially updated on Friday, but figures provided by Sky Sport Italia show that Italy will be in third place on 11.071 points, behind Germany in second on 11.660 points and England in first with 13.166 points.
Spain are in fourth with 10.609 points, with Portugal slightly behind them in fifth on 10.600 points.
Football Italia’s Player of the Match was Bologna hero Federico Bernardeschi.
Celta Vigo 1-2 Bologna – Player Ratings
Celta Vigo: Radu 5.5; Rodriguez 5, Starfelt 5.5, Ristic 6; Carreira 5.5, Beltran 6, Morbia 6, Mingueza 6.5; Swedberg 7, Iglesias 5.5, Zaragoza 7
Best Celta Vigo player: Williot Swedberg – Looked really dangerous and helped create Zaragoza’s goal. Contributed in both attack and defence and gave a really good showing of himself.
Lowest Celta Vigo rating: Javi Rodriguez – Sloppy to give away the penalty that brought Bologna back into the game.
VIGO, SPAIN – DECEMBER 11: Federico Bernardeschi celebrates scoring his team’s second goal as Ilaix Moriba of Celta Vigo looks dejected during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Real Club Celta and Bologna FC 1909 at Estadio Balaidos on December 11, 2025 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Coach: Claudio Giraldez 5.5 – His side offered little to no answers to Bologna‘s dominance other than to hope for the best. Completely outmatched in midfield and this is where the game was lost.
Best Bologna player: Federico Bernardeschi – Led by example from the wing today, showing his experience and composure to propel his side to all three points. Scored twice and was a constant threat on the right flank.
VIGO, SPAIN – DECEMBER 11: Federico Bernardeschi celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match at Estadio Balaidos on December 11, 2025 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Lowest Bologna rating: Ravaglia – Player of the Match at the weekend against Lazio, he’s only the lowest rated here by process of elimination. Maybe could have done better for Zaragoza’s opener.
Coach: Vincenzo Italiano 7.5 – Made some solid changes and set up his team very well to dominate Celta Vigo. The La Liga side are no pushovers, beating Real Madrid at the weekend, and Italiano made them look very weak.
Bologna fought back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 against Celta Vigo on a very rainy night in Galicia.
The hosts took the lead after an incisive counter attack, with Bryan Zaragoza putting the La Liga side 1-0 up heading into the half-time interval. However, a second half penalty came shortly after a disallowed Bologna goal and Federico Bernardeschi converted it confidently.
With more life in them after the equaliser, Bologna went after the winner and were rewarded when Bernardeschi doubled his tally with a calm finish.
Bologna must now focus on their remaining two games as they face Celtic and Maccabi Tel Aviv in January.
VIGO, SPAIN – DECEMBER 11: Federico Bernardeschi celebrates scoring his team’s second goal as Ilaix Moriba of Celta Vigo looks dejected during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match at Estadio Balaidos on December 11, 2025 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Celta Vigo 1-2 Bologna – First half counter stuns dominant Rossoblu
For much of the first half, Bologna were the better side.
Vincenzo Italiano’s men were dominant in possession and spent much of the first forty-five minutes inside Vigo’s half. However, the Galician side’s defence were resolute, aside from a minor scare that allowed Jonathan Rowe to poke the ball wide after a dangerous piece of pressing from the Englishman.
In fact, Bologna’s press looked good for most of the half, except for when it allowed Vigo to spring forward and take the lead, much against the run of play.
However, Italiano’s side suffocated Vigo and the La Liga outfit really struggled to get the ball out of their half. However, unlike Bologna, they capitalised on their first chance of the game, to lead heading into the break.
VIGO, SPAIN – DECEMBER 11: Federico Bernardeschi celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match at Estadio Balaidos on December 11, 2025 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)
Bernardeschi inspires second half comeback
Bologna thought they had equalised around the hour mark when a nice ball from Moro found Bernardeschi out on the right, who squared the ball for Pobega to score. However, Moro’s ball was judged to have been offside and Bologna were back to square one.
However, minutes later, the Rossoblu got their lucky break. After a foul in the box, the referee blew for a penalty before the offside flag went up, judging Pobega to have been offside before he was fouled.
A quick VAR check put this right, however, and Bernardeschi comfortably equalised from the spot.
With renewed spirit, it was not long until the experienced Italian found himself through on goal once again and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net to put his side in the lead.
Vigo, looking tired from defending for a majority of the match, had nothing more to offer and Bologna saw out the rest of the match for a vital three points.
ITALY – NOVEMBER 27: Thijs Dallinga celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on November 27, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Vigo vs Bologna – Lineups
Bologna have lined up with Jonathan Rowe starting on the wing, Santiago Castro as the centre-forward. Moro wears the captain’s armband and Ravaglia returns to the goal after his impressive performance against Lazio at the weekend.
UDINE, ITALY – NOVEMBER 22: Federico Ravaglia makes a save against Jurgen Ekkelenkamp of Udinese during the Serie A match at Stadio Friuli on November 22, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Bologna are short of options in defence, so Jhon Lucumí might be forced to start as they visit Celta Vigo in the Europa League Round 6.
It kicks off at 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) at the Estadio Balaídos.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09: Jhon Lucumi of Bologna FC 1909 celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and SSC Napoli at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has few options in central defence as Nicolò Casale and Martin Vitik are injured, while Lucumì is not fully fit.
Tuttosport and other reputable Italian media claim that the latter is still expected to start tonight, but if Italiano is forced to rest him, Charalampos Lykogiannis will be moved into a centre-back position.
Scotland international Lewis Ferguson also has a minor fitness issue, so he could be rested, making room for Tommaso Pobega and Nikola Moro in central midfield.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09: Lewis Ferguson of Bologna FC 1909 battles for possession with Stanislav Lobotka of Napoli during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and SSC Napoli at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Thijs Dallinga is favourite over Santiago Castro in attack having already scored twice and delivered one assist in five European appearances this term.
Lukasz Skorupski is injured, so Tommaso Ravaglia will start in goal for Bologna.
Celta Vigo vs. Bologna – where to watch on TV
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 6 in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide live updates for this game and Celtic-Roma via a Liveblog.
Celta Vigo vs. Bologna – probable line-ups
Celta Vigo (3-4-2-1): Radu; Damian Rodriguez, Starfelt, Marcos Alonso; Sergio Carreira, Fran Beltran, Ilaix Moriba, Oscar Mingueza; Iago Aspas, W. Swedberg; Borge Iglesias.
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