Juventus vs. Bologna match preview: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch the Serie A

We’re 90 minutes away from formally being on the halfway level of the 2020-21 Serie A season, one which beneath present circumstances are nothing like we’ve by no means seen earlier than. And, in basic 2020 or early 2021 trend, the final 180 or so minutes that Andrea Pirlo’s squad has performed is a fairly good instance of simply how that first half of the season has gone for Juventus.

There’s been some good, like Wednesday night time’s Supercoppa win over Napoli.

Then there’s not the precise reverse of fine, like final weekend’s loss to Inter Milan on the San Siro.

It’s fairly straightforward to determine which aspect of the equation many people favor.

And based mostly on what occurred on Saturday, this closing sport of the andata simply acquired just a little extra essential. Proper after we have been able to declare Juventus has been knocked out of the title race because of the egg they laid in opposition to Inter, the Serie A gods have given Pirlo’s squad a lifeline. Not solely did Inter drop factors in opposition to Udinese, however Atalanta rolled into the San Siro and completely dominated Milan, leaving the door open for Juventus to chop their deficit within the Serie A desk to single digits as soon as once more.

Sure, that’s proper — the breaks that Juventus wanted really did occur.

After all, in the event that they hadn’t misplaced to Inter then they’d be capable of make issues much more fascinating within the league desk, however we will’t rewrite the previous as a lot as we’d wish to.

So now Juventus can minimize their deficit with Milan to seven factors — once more — with a win over Bologna. Understanding how grim issues seemed only one weekend in the past, that may not be the worst factor on this planet. And judging by how amped up the workforce taken care of profitable the Supercoppa over Napoli — and a fairly good Napoli workforce at that — it was the sort of victory that we might see as a turning level a few weeks from now when they’re set to play … Napoli.

The factor that will forestall that’s Juventus doing what they’ve already carried out just a few occasions already this season — observe up an excellent exhibiting with the sort of efficiency that leaves you questioning simply what must occur for this workforce to search out any form of consistency. Bologna are the identical sort of workforce that has confirmed to be the boogeyman for Juventus to date this season. , this sort of workforce:

• Comfortably mid-table.
• Prone to sit again and take in stress.
• A workforce, on paper, that Juventus ought to beat.

As a lot as we see that Juve’s enjoying a workforce that has struggled during the last 4 to 6 weeks and is sitting twelfth within the desk, we’re additionally properly conscious of the truth that Bologna suits the profile of a workforce that they’ve dropped factors in opposition to this season. It will be fairly on-brand for this Juventus workforce to drop factors the identical weekend that they’re offered this sort of alternative and have gotten a lot assist from the groups enjoying the 2 Milan golf equipment.

For all we all know, Juventus might come out firing and construct off the Supercoppa win. That will be good — particularly figuring out what has occurred over the course of Saturday’s schedule. However we additionally know that Pirlo’s squad has had such an up-and-down, one-step-forward-two-steps-back sort of season when it comes to their performances and outcomes that anticipating to beat a workforce Juve’s dealt with through the years continues to be a little bit of a query mark.

Like we stated firstly of the month, these video games have all change into must-win sorts of conditions. With the door being left open by the Milan golf equipment this weekend, that’s much more the case now. All that’s left is to see simply what Juventus does with this newest alternative to make the Serie A title race one thing that includes the entire huge golf equipment in Italy as soon as extra.

TEAM NEWS

• MATTHIJS DE LIGT BACK.
• With de Ligt testing destructive for COVID-19, that leaves Alex Sandro because the lone Juventus participant who continues to be out because of the virus.
• Regardless that there have been ideas that he might miss a while as a consequence of being subbed out at halftime in opposition to Napoli due to an ankle harm, Federico Chiesa has been known as up for Bologna’s go to to Turin.
• Merih Demiral is within the squad after lacking the Supercoppa midweek.
• At his pre-match press convention, Pirlo stated he’ll play both Chiellini or Demiral protection. Who is aware of how a lot de Ligt’s return will affect this or if the younger Dutchman can be held out of the lineup till the Coppa Italia quarterfinals midweek in opposition to SPAL.
• With Demiral coming again into the squad, the lone harm absence is Paulo Dybala, who ought to come again in some unspecified time in the future in early February if every part goes proper along with his restoration.

JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH

If the expected lineups from the Italian media are appropriate, then we might be seeing one thing we haven’t seen in fairly some time happen throughout lunchtime in Italy on Sunday.

Severely, the man under might very properly be beginning his fourth sport within the span of 11 days.

Picture by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs

In the event you have been to ask me firstly of the season if Giorgio Chiellini showing in 4 straight video games in that in need of a time span was going to be a factor I in all probability would have informed you that you just’re residing in some sort of fantasy land. And in case you have been to then inform me it might be Chiellini beginning 4 video games in 11 days … then it woulda been even worse of a response.

However, fortunately, Chiellini’s physique hasn’t been his personal worst enemy the final couple of weeks. I, for one, wish to knock on the entire wooden doable — like perhaps the Redwood forest that was proper behind my school dorm room throughout my freshman yr — in order that this pattern continues.

The one purpose Chiellini is right here is for the easy indisputable fact that he’s being predicted to start out and it is a run of video games on a back-to-back foundation that we’ve hardly ever seen him participate in during the last couple of years. Juventus’ managers — whether or not it’s Max Allegri, Maurizio Sarri or now Pirlo — have actually needed to get artistic with how they handle Chiellini’s minutes due to all of the muscle accidents he’s had these previous few seasons. And due to the restricted variety of defenders obtainable the previous few weeks, Chiellini has needed to play a heavy workload out of pure necessity.

Now de Ligt is again. Identical goes for Demiral. Even then, the Italian press is predicting that Chiellini goes to get the decision in opposition to Bologna on Sunday afternoon. (La Gazzetta dello Sport has it about 70/30 for Chiellini beginning over Demiral.)

With a Coppa Italia quarterfinal this coming Wednesday in opposition to a Serie B aspect in SPAL, it does make sense to play Chiellini on this sport because it’s rather more essential than the subsequent one. (No offense, SPAL, however let’s be actual.) And if Pirlo feels just like the midweek fixture is one to ease de Ligt and Demiral again in after their respective absences, then Chiellini beginning in opposition to Bologna makes an entire lot of sense from that side alone.

However with Chiellini, there’s at all times going to be that worry that his physique goes to let him down once more. Hopefully it’s not this sport or the subsequent one after that or the subsequent one after that or the subsequent one after that. It’s been enjoyable watching Chiellini lead this workforce on the sector once more, and hopefully that continues.

MATCH INFO

When: Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021

The place: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy

Official kickoff time: 12:30 p.m. native time in Italy and throughout Europe; 1:30 a.m. in the UK; 6:30 a.m. Jap Time; 3:30 a.m. Pacific Time

HOW TO WATCH

Tv: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (United States); TLN (Canada); Premier Sports activities 2 (United Kingdom)

On-line/cellular: ESPN+, ESPN Deportes+ (United States); DAZN (Canada); Premier Participant HD (United Kingdom); DAZN, DAZN1, Sky Go Italia (Italy)

Different stay viewing choices will be discovered here, and as at all times, you may as well observe together with us stay and all of the silly issues we are saying on Twitter. In the event you haven’t already, join the community on Black & White & Learn All Over, and be part of within the dialogue under.