Preview: Bologna vs Juventus - prediction, team news, lineups

Both midweek winners in Europe, Bologna and Juventus will clash at Stadio Dall'Ara in Serie A's Sunday night contest.

Juve are still struggling on the domestic scene, but victory over Pafos has kept them in the mix for a Champions League playoff place; meanwhile, their hosts are flying high on all fronts.

Match preview

A distant seventh in Serie A, Juventus look unlikely to mount a title challenge this season, extending an unfamiliar Scudetto drought.

Compared to this point last year, Italy's most successful club have accrued three fewer points, have scored four fewer goals and have conceded six more, summing up their miserable start.

Little has changed under new boss Luciano Spalletti, who averages a modest 1.6 points per game after losing last Sunday's showdown with reigning champions Napoli.

Spalletti's current club left his old home in Naples empty-handed, despite Kenan Yildiz getting them back into the contest midway through the second half, as Juve were beaten 2-1.

Still, the Bianconeri boosted their Champions League hopes three days later, beating Pafos 2-0 in Turin thanks to two goals in the final half-hour.

Following a recent defeat of Bodo/Glimt, back-to-back wins have kept alive dreams of reaching the knockout stage, but Juventus cannot afford to slip up when the league phase concludes next month.

Back on the domestic front, Juve have lost three of their last five away matches - keeping just one clean sheet in the last dozen - so they may travel to Bologna with some trepidation.

At least history will be on the visitors' side this weekend, as Bologna have not beaten Juventus at the Dall'Ara since November 1998; since then, 25 subsequent meetings have brought 17 home defeats.

More recently, though, the Rossoblu moved two points above Juve in the Serie A standings with a gritty 1-1 away draw against Lazio.

Indeed, Bologna have made their second-best start to a top-flight campaign this century, with 25 points from their first 14 league fixtures - just six shy of top spot.

After starting December with a shock 3-1 home loss to Cremonese - which halted a long unbeaten run - they started their Coppa Italia defence by eliminating local rivals Parma last week.

This season's continental campaign has also gathered momentum following a slow start, as Vincenzo Italiano's men have just posted consecutive Europa League wins to almost assure at least a playoff place.

On Thursday night, the Emilian club conquered Celta Vigo in Spain, with Federico Bernardeschi bagging a second-half brace, so they sit 13th with two rounds remaining.

Now, ahead of next week's trip to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana, they will return to home turf, where they last lost back-to-back league games nearly four years ago.

Bologna Serie A form:

D W W W L D

Bologna form (all competitions):

W W L W D W

Juventus Serie A form:

W W D D W L

Juventus form (all competitions):

D W W W L W

Team News

With Dusan Vlahovic ruled out for the next few weeks, either Lois Openda or Jonathan David should lead Juve's attack on Sunday - albeit Yildiz was tried as a false nine against Napoli.

Aside from last week's strike at Stadio Maradona, seven of the latter's eight Serie A goal involvements this season have come on home soil, but he did score at the Dall'Ara last year.

In addition to the Bianconeri's main marksman, Spalletti is also missing Federico Gatti, whose fellow centre-backs Daniele Rugani and Bremer have just returned from injury. So, Teun Koopmeiners is set to continue in his new defensive role, as part of a flexible back three.

Bologna, meanwhile, must do without Remo Freuler, Martin Vitik, Nicolo Casale and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski due to injury.

Italiano is fond of rotating his squad substantially between fixtures, and that should be the case amid a packed December schedule.

With that in mind, Lewis Ferguson, Jens Odgaard and top scorer Riccardo Orsolini are all poised to return, after being restricted to cameo roles on Thursday evening.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Holm, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro

Juventus possible starting lineup:

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Kelly, Koopmeiners; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; David