20 May 2024
Paolo Montero took over as caretaker Juventus coach and witnessed an incredible three goal comeback in a six-goal thriller at the Dall’Ara.
Bologna were already leading by two goals after 11 minutes before the home side added a third inside the opening 10 minutes of the restart.
Write off Juve at your peril. Federico Chiesa kickstarted the Bianconeri into action on 76 minutes. Then two goals in as many minutes from Arkadiusz Milik and Kenan Yildiz brought Juventus level inside the final 10 minutes.
The two teams remained tied in third place with one game to play.
THE MATCH
Bologna gave Juventus no time to settle on Paolo Montero’s debut as first team coach. The home side, driven on by the home crowd celebrating Champions League qualification, pressed Juve from kick-off.
Wojciech Szczesny produced a first-minute miracle to keep out Remo Freuler, who had stolen the ball from the toes of Andrea Cambiaso inside the penalty area.
However, the keeper was powerless to deny Bologna the opening goal from the resulting corner. Teenage striker Santiago Castro retrieved possession and his cross bounced into the path of Riccardo Calafiori, who fired a shot high into the roof of the net.
On 11 minutes the Bianconeri were two goals down. Kacper Urbanski and Castro both threw themselves at a dangerous delivery into the area. Both got a touch despite Danilo's presence, with Castro claiming his first goal on his first Serie A start.
Two minutes later the referee’s assistant cancelled out Bologna’s third. Again Szczesny made a top quality save from a Dan Ndoye shot. Jans Odgaard drove the rebound into the net but from an offside position.
After the complicated opening 15 minutes Juve came more into the match and almost found a way back into the contest with three minutes of the first half remaining when Fabio Miretti broke a tackle in midfield and played through Andrea Cambiaso, whose cross was teed up for Dusan Vlahovic to tap home. Jhon Lukumi slid in to intercept and clear the danger.
The situation went from bad to worse on 53 minutes. Calafiori won possession on the halfway line and continued his run forward to latch onto the ball at the edge of the area before dinking his shot over Sczcesny for his second goal of the game.
However, Juventus found a way back into the contest just as Nicolò Fagioli returned from his seven-month ban.
Lucumì overdid it trying to dribble out of danger from the edge of his own area and was punished by Federico Chiesa, who gave Lukasz Skorupski no chance.
Belief grew further seven minutes later when Kenan Ylidiz won a free-kick within shooting distance. Upstepped Arkadiusz Milik who delivered an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
A minute later the comeback was completed. Again Juve forced the home side into a mistake in the centre of the park and when Yildiz took over he had just one thought on his mind and duly dispatched a swerving drive beyond Skorupski.
There was still time to come close to grabbing all three points as the clock ticked down. Yildiz and Chiesa combined but the winger’s shot was deflected out by a last-ditch sliding tackle from Michel Aebischer.
As it was Juventus collected a sixth draw in a row in what was a baptism of fire for Montero in the Bolognese rain.
BOLOGNA 3-3 JUVENTUS (HT: 2-0)
Scorers: 2′ & 53′ Calafiori, 11′ Castro, 76′ Chiesa, 83′ Milik, 84′ Yildiz
BOLOGNA: Skorupski; Posch, Lucumí, Calafiori (75' Beukema), Kristiansen; Aebischer, Freuler (75' El Azzouzi), Urbanski (70' Fabbian); Odgaard (70' Orsolini), Castro (63' Saelemaekers), Ndoye. Subs not used: Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Ilic, Soumaoro, Corazza, Lykogiannis, De Silvestri, Moro, Karlssoni. Coach: Thiago Motta.
JUVENTUS: Szczesny; Gatti (56′ Yildiz), Bremer, Danilo; Cambiaso (46′ Weah), Miretti (46′ Alcaraz), Locatelli, Rabiot (70′ Fagioli), Iling Jr; Chiesa, Vlahovic (62′ Milik). Subs not used: Pinsoglio, Perin, Alex Sandro, Rugani, Djalò, Kostić, McKennie, Nicolussi Caviglia, Kean. Coach: Montero.
Referee: Ayroldi
Bookings: 25′ Miretti, 28′ Cambiaso, 62′ Danilo, 67′ Bremer, 81′ Aebischer, 89′ Fagioli
