Socrates

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) 0 - 2 Mirko Vučinić (62′) Claudio Marchisio (74′) "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi Attendance: 34415‎ Bianconeri conquer Bologna Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio secured a 2-0 victory for Juventus at the Stadio Dall’Ara to end Bologna’s three-game winning streak. Mar 16, 2013 Both sides were brimming with confidence going into this game, as the Bianconeri were nine points clear at the top of the table and welcomed Arturo Vidal back from suspension. Bologna had won three on the bounce, including against Fiorentina and Inter, while Panagiotis Kone’s ban had expired, but Juve were unbeaten at the Dall’Ara since 1998. The hosts so nearly took the lead after five minutes when Gigi Buffon rushed out of the penalty area to tackle Alberto Gilardino and was fortunate that the Alessandro Diamanti follow-up was deflected wide off Giorgio Chiellini for a corner. Buffon was also lucky his tackle was clean, otherwise it would’ve been a straight red. Gianluca Curci smothered at the end of a Sebastian Giovinco mazy run through a group of players in the box, then Vidal blasted over from the edge of the box. Diamanti wasted a counter-attack by blasting well wide and Andrea Pirlo also fired over from distance. Simone Padoin dribbled away from players down the right side of the box and flashed a ball across the face of goal, but Vucinic wasn’t quick enough to stick out a leg and deflect it in with the goalkeeper already beaten. Diamanti required treatment before the break after an accidental elbow in side of the head from Pirlo and was clearly dazed. In first half stoppages Juve went on the counter and Vidal again couldn’t keep his shot down. Buffon held a dangerous flicked on Mikael Antonsson header from Diamanti’s free kick, but moments later Giovinco thought he had scored when swinging a right-foot effort inches past the far post. Bologna had the ball in the back of the net on 51 minutes with Gilardino’s header on a Diamanti set piece, but the flag was raised for offside. Claudio Marchisio’s daisy-cutter was smothered, then Giovinco cut in past Nicolo Cherubin only to sting Gianluca Curci’s palms from point-blank range. Diego Perez was booked for a mistimed tackle on Chiellini and moments after play resumed he went into another scything tackle on Peluso, so was fortunate not to be sent off. He surprisingly wasn't substituted, as instead Naldo came on for Bologna to adopt a three-man defence. Juventus took the lead just past the hour mark, as Vucinic gathered from Marchisio with his back to goal, spun round Naldo and prodded it through Curci’s legs from 12 yards. Vucinic blasted past the far post from the edge of the box and Buffon watched a Gabbiadini header whistle wide. It was an increasingly tense game with six bookings after 71 minutes. Marchisio put the result under lock and key with a well-worked goal. A quick one-two with Vucinic allowed him to burst into the area and the midfielder finished with an angled drive to nutmeg Curci. Substitute Davide Moscardelli curled wide after a fine solo run and Pirlo also turned off target, but Buffon parried a Diamanti free kick with his fists, bizzarrely punching it into the ground as it dipped. Alessandro Matri was flagged offside in a very tight decision, but had missed the goal anyway. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOLOGNA: Curci; Garics (Christodoulopoulos 69), Antonsson, Cherubin, Morleo; Perez, Taider; Kone (Naldo 57), Diamanti, Gabbiadini; Gilardino (Moscardelli 75) JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin, Vidal (Quagliarella 90), Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso; Vucinic (Matri 82), Giovinco (Pogba 76) Ref: Bergonzi http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) 0 - 2 Mirko Vučinić (62′) Claudio Marchisio (74′) "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi Attendance: 34415‎ Vucinic and Marchisio extend Bianconeri's Serie A lead The Bianconeri took their time in making the breakthrough, but finally found their rhythm in the second half as goals from the striker and midfielder earned maximum points. Mar 16, 2013 An excellent second-half display was the key for Juventus as they took another giant leap towards the championship, dispatching Bologna 2-0 on Saturday evening to go 12 points clear at the top of Serie A. The defending champions struggled early on break down a dogged rival, but once Mirko Vucinic gave his side the lead it was all too easy, and victory was assured when Claudio Marchisio doubled the Old Lady's advantage. Looking for a win that would further cement their status as runaway favourites for the 2012-13 Serie A title, Juve started brightly and immediately began pushing forward in search of an opener. It was Bologna, however, who played patiently and on the break, that had the game's first clear chance. Gianluigi Buffon came steaming out of goal and performed a well-timed tackle on Alberto Gilardino outside of his area, but the veteran goalkeeper had left the net unguarded. The rebound fell to Alessandro Diamanti, and it took a vital intervention from Giorgio Chiellini to deflect the midfielder's shot over the bar and prevent a goal. Sebastian Giovinco was quiet in the opening minutes, but when the forward sprung to life he almost turned the game in Juve's favour. Taking the ball from Federico Peluso, he performed an impeccable nutmeg to break free of his marker and go through against Gianluca Curci, but the shot lacked venom and was saved comfortably. Seconds later, an intelligent lay-off from Mirko Vucinic opened the net up for Arturo Vidal, but from the edge of the box the Chilean blazed well over. The Old Lady continued to probe, dominating possession, but chances were few and far between against a Bologna side who defended deep in their own half and effectively. Simone Padoin was the architect of one of the league leader's few clear opportunities, wriggling free down the right flank and firing in a low cross. Vucinic was waiting, but could connect and Mikael Antonsson came to the rescue for the hosts, intercepting and clearing well. Juve shaded the first 45 minutes, but went into the dressing rooms with the game still poised at 0-0. The visitors came out after the break resolved to take the advantage, and Giovinco went close to obliging in the first minutes after the restart. A slick build-up stretched the Rossoblu back line and left the striker with space, and his looping effort flew agonisingly close to Curci's left post as it went wide. Bologna, however, were still very much in the game; Gilardino thought he had opened the scoring after heading in an impeccable Diamanti free kick, only to see his celebrations cut short by the linesman's raised flag. The match was opening up, and Curci had to react well to stop Giovinco's left-footed effort after the forward twisted away from the attentions of Nicolo Cherubin. With just over an hour played, Juventus finally made the breakthrough they so desperately desired. Vucinic had enjoyed few chances on goal, but did brilliantly to turn Naldo with his back to goal and clean through with Curci, powered an unstoppable shot to put his side in the ascendancy. Juve were boosted by that goal, and never looked like relinquishing their hold on the game. Victory was assured 17 minutes from the end. Bologna's defence was ripped open by a brilliant sequence of passes, and Claudio Marchisio was the beneficiary as he stayed onside and stroked the ball passed Curci to put his team 2-0 up, and end the game as a contest. The win puts the Bianconeri well out in front at the summit of Serie A, as they enjoy a 12-point lead over their rivals. Second-placed Napoli can cut the deficit to nine once more with victory on Sunday over Atalanta at the San Paolo. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Poverino Diamanti ce l'hanno tutti con lui .....

Matri sbaglia ma era in fuorigioco .... forse no.

Ottimo Pirlo ma il tiro é fuori.

Finalmente Matri in campo.

Perez a caccia di un'inquadratura della telecamera.

Pogba in campo per fare il terzo goal.

Assist di Vucinic per il goal di Marchisio.

CLAUDIO MARCHISIO 0-2

Giallo per Vidal.

Perez da espellere prima che faccia male a qualcuno.

Arriva la primavera, fine del letargo invernale.

Diamanti frustrato.

MIRKO VUCINIC 0-1

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) - "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi HT 0-0: Juve stutter in Bologna Mar 16, 2013 Gigi Buffon had a moment of panic on Alberto Gilardino, though Juventus have since been in control as it’s still 0-0 at half-time in Bologna. Both sides were brimming with confidence going into this game, as the Bianconeri were nine points clear at the top of the table and welcomed Arturo Vidal back from suspension. Bologna had won three on the bounce, including against Fiorentina and Inter, while Panagiotis Kone’s ban had expired, but Juve were unbeaten at the Dall’Ara since 1998. The hosts so nearly took the lead after five minutes when Gigi Buffon rushed out of the penalty area to tackle Alberto Gilardino and was fortunate that the Alessandro Diamanti follow-up was deflected wide off Giorgio Chiellini for a corner. Buffon was also lucky his tackle was clean, otherwise it would’ve been a straight red. Gianluca Curci smothered at the end of a Sebastian Giovinco mazy run through a group of players in the box, then Vidal blasted over from the edge of the box. Diamanti wasted a counter-attack by blasting well wide and Andrea Pirlo also fired over from distance. Simone Padoin dribbled away from players down the right side of the box and flashed a ball across the face of goal, but Vucinic wasn’t quick enough to stick out a leg and deflect it in with the goalkeeper already beaten. Diamanti required treatment before the break after an accidental elbow in side of the head from Pirlo and was clearly dazed. In first half stoppages Juve went on the counter and Vidal again couldn’t keep his shot down. Bologna 0-0 Juventus (Half-Time) BOLOGNA: Curci; Garics, Antonsson, Cherubin, Morleo; Perez, Taider; Kone, Diamanti, Gabbiadini; Gilardino JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso; Vucinic, Giovinco Ref: Bergonzi http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Marotta confirms Ibra talks Mar 16, 2013 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has confirmed they “talked” to PSG about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but his wages are a stumbling block. The newspapers in Italy have been filled with reports of Bianconeri interest in the Swede, who had started his Serie A career in Turin before walking away post-Calciopoli in 2006. “It is certain that Pavel Nedved and Leonardo talked about Ibra,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia before today’s game with Bologna. “Ibra is a great player, but not the type we are looking for in terms of age and economic parameters. “Without doubt he is a champion, but at this moment Italian clubs cannot sign players who earn such high wages. We appreciate him a great deal, who wouldn’t like a player like him? However, it is not possible.” Marotta commented on the Scudetto race and Juve’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich. “The Scudetto has to be taken one step at a time, like a cycling tour, and it’s no good winning the penultimate stage if someone else goes on the podium. “We are concentrating on Serie A without ignoring the Champions League, as we want to go all the way in both competitions.”

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) - "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi Line-ups: Bologna-Juventus Mar 16, 2013 Juventus aim to break further away at the top of the table, but visit giant-killers Bologna this evening. The Stadio Dall’Ara hosts the 19.45 GMT kick-off, click here for a match preview. The Bianconeri are nine points clear at the top of the table and through to the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern Munich, so confidence is sky high. Arturo Vidal returns from his one-match ban, while Martin Caceres and Paolo De Ceglie are also back in the squad. Only Nicklas Bendtner and Simone Pepe remain on the treatment table. Mirko Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco are chosen to lead the attack with Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in midfield, but Federico Peluso and Simone Padoin are surprise choices out wide. Bologna are also feeling good about their chances this evening, as they are on a run of three consecutive victories, including results over Fiorentina and Inter. Frederik Sorensen is the only injury absentee, but Panagiotis Kone returns from suspension to complete the inspirational front line with Alberto Gilardino, Alessandro Diamanti and Juventus-owned Manolo Gabbiadini. The stadium is sold out, but there are reports that 10,000 tickets have gone to Juventus fans, as many support the club in the city. BOLOGNA: Curci; Garics, Antonsson, Cherubin, Morleo; Perez, Taider; Kone, Diamanti, Gabbiadini; Gilardino Bologna bench: Agliardi, Lombardi, Naldo, De Carvalho, Krhin, Pazienza, Abero, Guarente, Motta, Christodoulopoulos, Pasquato, Moscardelli JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso; Vucinic, Giovinco Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Marrone, De Ceglie, Giaccherini, Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Isla, Asamoah, Anelka, Quagliarella, Matri http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Beckenbauer: Juventus-Bayern Munich tie on a knife edge The legendary sweeper believes the two sides will be difficult to separate, despite his allegiance with the Bavarians. Mar 16, 2013 Franz Beckenbauer has admitted that Bayern Munich were handed a "tough draw" in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday after they were paired with Juventus. The Bavarians ran out 4-1 victors in the two sides' last meeting back in 2009 - also in Europe's elite club tournament - but their former captain is under no illusions as to the difficulty of the tie that the Bundesliga leaders have been given. "It is a tough draw. It's 50-50, although it's not such a good thing that Bayern kick the tie off at home," Beckenbauer told Sky Sport Deutschland. "Whoever leads the Italian league with a nine-point advantage can obviously play football. Malaga or Galatasaray would have been more feasible, but a draw cannot be requested." Former Bayern trio Stefan Effenberg, current CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and ex-midfielder Lothar Matthaus were also all wary of the Italians' threat. "It will be an unpleasant task. Juventus can take on any opponent in the world, are incredibly strong defensively and have a superior clock-ticker in Andrea Pirlo," said 1999 Champions League runner-up Effenberg. Meanwhile, Rummenigge noted: "This is not a dream draw. Although we won 4-1 the last time we played them, we will nonetheless need two more good days in the office to reach the semi-finals. "I hoped that Bayern would have been paired with another opponent," concluded FCB legend Matthaus. "They found their style this season and will have two key players available in Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger this time around."

Errore di Vidal

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) - "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi Conte: Bologna can trouble Juventus The successful coach has stressed that the Scudetto holders cannot afford to underestimate this weekend's opponents. Mar 16, 2013 Juventus coach Antonio Conte has warned his players that Saturday's Serie A encounter against Bologna will not be an easy match. The Turin giants comfortably sit atop of the league table, but Conte has stressed that the Felsinei will not be pushovers as they have been in fine form in recent weeks. "Winning on Saturday would send out a clear message to the rest of the championship - but it won’t be easy," Conte said at a press conference. "We’re facing Serie A’s in-form team, who have registered three consecutive successes over excellent sides. They’re virtually safe and will be gunning for victory against the league leaders. "Bologna certainly have the possibility of achieving a result. They have an excellent coach in [stefano] Pioli and quality players. They are at the peak of their physical and mental form and will want to dictate the game." Bologna currently sit 10th in Serie A with 35 points from 28 games. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Heynckes: Juventus are extremely strong in defence The Bayern coach expects the Turin giants to cause his side trouble, while Matthias Sammer is full of respect for the Serie A champions, too. Mar 16, 2013 Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes has praised Juventus' strength in defence after the Bavarians were paired with the Italian champions in Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The 67-year-old is not just wary of the Bianconeri's quality at the back, though, and expects the quarter-final tie to be a tight affair. "I know Juventus very well. They're the best Italian team at the moment and they have a fantastic new stadium. They're really high calibre, really tough opponents," Heynckes told the official Bayern website. "They’re extremely strong in defence and have lots of attacking quality. We'll see great football, two fantastic knockout cup nights. "I hope we have our noses in front at the end of the day, but it's an evenly-matched pairing." Sporting director Matthias Sammer, meanwhile, is equally respectful for the Bianconeri and expects the tie to be well contested. "Both teams are dominating their domestic championships. The Italian league is once again moving in the right direction, and that includes bringing on young players. They've long ago climbed out of the trough. "Juventus are traditionally strong with good players. Form on the day in both matches will decide who goes through. Mentally and in terms of focus, a top-calibre team like Juventus is just right." The first leg is scheduled to take place on April 2 at the Allianz Arena.

Will Bayern rid their Chelsea demons against Juventus, or will it be Germany v Italy at Euro 2012 again? The Bavarian giants are among the favourites to win the Champions League, but they have a huge psychological hurdle to overcome against the Bianconeri in the quarter-finals. Mar 16, 2013 COMMENT By Kris Voakes in Nyon There is something strange about the final tie drawn from the pot in any football draw. Whereas the earlier match-ups are met with either a sigh, a murmur, a gasp or a giggle, the exact make-up of the last fixture seems to take some time to set in with the assembled dignitaries as they work out which two teams remain undrawn. Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw here in Nyon had a very different feel, though. The very second Barcelona were drawn out, it took those present all of a millisecond to realise that, while Paris Saint-Germain had been handed the toughest draw of all, what was left was the most fascinating contest of all. The clash between Bayern Munich and Juventus is truly one that will represent a modern rivalry of epic proportions. While FC Hollywood stand for the burgeoning force that is the Bundesliga, they are also a reminder of the German failures of recent times. Beaten finalists after underwhelming performances in both 2010 and 2012, their squad contains a handful of players who have also made a habit out of promising much and delivering little with the German national side. On the other side of the fence are Juve, a club whose embarrassing 4-1 home defeat to Bayern in 2009 was a sign of where the club was at the time. Pavel Nedved sat in the stands that night with his head in his hands, his eyes fighting back tears. On Friday, the Czech was amongst the Juve delegation which met the news of their Bayern re-match with the confidence that this is a very different Bianconeri beast to the one dumped so unceremoniously out of Europe by Die Roten three seasons ago. And there is plenty of reason for the former Juve winger to believe, given the fascinating link between the club and Italy's national side over the years too. The current incarnation of Antonio Conte's club is just the latest to have their successes reflected by those of the Italian national side. As the Azzurri have risen from the ashes of their 2010 World Cup disaster, so too has the Old Lady recovered from her state of ill health just a couple of short years ago. Never was this better exemplified than last summer, when Juve's Scudetto triumph was followed up by an unlikely run to the final of Euro 2012 for Cesare Prandelli's Italy side, which just so happened to be heavily-laden with Juve players. And it was in their semi-final victory over Germany that they showed the greatest signs of just how good they can be. That result also crowned a hugely dissatisfying period for die Nationalmannschaft's Bayern contingent who had been tipped to topple Spain in the final. Just weeks earlier, those same players had suffered the heartache of a defeat in the Champions League final to Chelsea. They were overwhelming favourites, they were on their home turf, they were meant to be reaching the crescendo they'd threatened for so long, and yet they fell short yet again. It was like Germany's 2006 World Cup campaign all over again, when Italy snatched a win with two goals late in extra-time in the Dortmund semi-final. A Bayern side that has combined wonderful attacking football with clever pressing, the intelligent use of pace and real heart still has very little to show for it, while Juventus have quickly returned to the top of Italy's tree. Juve have what Bayern want: that ability to grind teams down when it really matters. The Bianconeri may not have shown it for a while, but there's no denying it's in their DNA. Bayern have been playing well for a long time, but come the big night they have always found themselves wanting. However, psychology works in two ways. You either just can't win (like Spain prior to 2008) or you just can't lose (like Spain ever since). Bayern have so much in place, and all they appear to be missing is their threshold moment; that result which proves both to themselves and to the wider world that they can rise to the big occasion. Yet Juve have that Italian knack of standing tall at the most important moments, offering Bayern one of the toughest tests they could have been given in the last eight. The two clashes will provide a fascinating insight into the psyche of Bayern Munich, and may give the clearest indication yet as to whether die Roten are finally ready to shake off their nearly-men tag. This will be the last eight's most enlightening fixture by some distance.

Serie A - 10^ Giornata - Ritorno - 16-3-2013 (ore 20:45) - Stadio "Renato Dall’Ara" - Bologna Arbitro: Mauro Bergonzi Confronti ufficiali 168 - 133 (Serie A) - 14 (Coppa Italia) - 19 (Campionato a gironi) - 2 (Serie B) Vittorie Juventus 76 - 63 (Serie A) - 6 (Coppa Italia) - 5 (Campionato a gironi) - 2 (Serie B) Pareggi 62 - 47 (Serie A) - 6 (Coppa Italia) - 9 (Campionato a gironi) Vittorie Bologna 30 - 23 (Serie A) - 2 (Coppa Italia) - 5 (Campionato a gironi) Goals Juventus 241 - 195 (Serie A) - 22 (Coppa Italia) - 20 (Campionato a gironi) - 4 (Serie B) Goals Bologna 160 - 125 (Serie A) - 12 (Coppa Italia) - 22 (Campionato a gironi) - 1 (Serie B) Bologna - Juventus Serie A a Bologna Confronti ufficiali 66 Vittorie Juventus 26 (L'ultima il 21.02.2010 Bologna-Juventus 1-2) Pareggi 22 (L'ultimo il 07.03.2012, 1-1) Vittorie Bologna 18 (L'ultima il 29.11.1998 Bologna-Juventus 3-0) Goals Juventus 87 Goals Bologna 73 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro il Bologna a Bologna 12 presenze Varglien I Mario 11 Bettega Roberto 11 Boniperti Giampiero 11 Cuccureddu Antonello 11 Furino Giuseppe 10 Causio Franco 10 Depetrini Teobaldo 10 Salvadore Sandro 10 Zoff Dino 9 Del Piero Alessandro 5 goals Sivori Omar Enrique 4 Bettega Roberto 3 Anastasi Pietro 3 Causio Franco 3 Charles John William 3 Hansen John 3 Nedved Pavel 3 Praest Karl Aage 3 Stacchini Gino 2 Bertolini Luigi Ultimi confronti diretti 29.10.2008 Serie A Bologna-Juventus 1-2 14.03.2009 Serie A Juventus-Bologna 4-1 27.09.2009 Serie A Juventus-Bologna 1-1 21.02.2010 Serie A Bologna-Juventus 1-2 24.10.2010 Serie A Bologna-Juventus 0-0 26.02.2011 Serie A Juventus-Bologna 0-2 21.09.2011 Serie A Juventus-Bologna 1-1 08.12.2011 Coppa Italia Juventus-Bologna 2-1 07.03.2012 Serie A Bologna-Juventus 1-1 31.10.2012 Serie A Juventus-Bologna 2-1 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 5 - Pareggi 4 - Vittorie Bologna 1 - Goals Juventus 15 - Goals Bologna 10

Serie A Week 29 - 16-3-2013 (8:45 p.m.) - "Renato Dall’Ara" Stadium - Bologna Referee: Mauro Bergonzi Juventus-Bologna Preview: Round 29 — A Pre-Spring Break Party? Have you ever realized that international breaks aren't much of a break for a lot of Juve players? Just a thought. As you were... Mar 16, 2013 For all the right reasons, a lot of attention 24 hours before Juventus' game against Bologna on Saturday night at the Dall'Ara has been put on the back burner because of the Champions League news. There's a reason why it's covered the way it is. And there's a reason why there's so much attention put on it. Heck, even Juventus' official website rolled out a headline that read "Focus split between Bologna and European Draw" on Thursday afternoon after the day's training session. It's there. Everybody knows it. It's consuming our minds. It's the Champions League, people. The Champions!!!! In actuality, though, Juve's trip to Bologna is not only the final game before the two-week international break, it's a mark of what's down the road — the final stretch of the 2012-13 season. After Saturday's match, there's only nine more. If that's not the signal of that we're about to hit the sprint to the finish, I don't know what else will. Well, maybe when there's only five games left, but that's beside the point. The objective is pretty clear, though: Juventus win on the road against Bologna and there's a chance to put even more distance between the rest of the competition. If some people think the Serie A race is done and dusted now, what would a a double-digit lead do? Yeah, I know what you're thinking. GOOD NEWS A nine-point lead with 10 games left to play certainly isn't a lock that the title race is over, but it's definitely a damn good sign — especially with Napoli completely struggling the way they are right now. And what does Antonio Conte have to say about his team's latest victory? Well, see for yourself... BAD NEWS One of the things I was looking forward to the most was to see how well Frederik Sorensen was playing since the last time we saw him taking on Juventus back in October. However, the 20-year-old Danish defender picked up a knock and is unlikely to play against the club that brought him to Italy. Dammit. WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Can Mirko Vucinic snap out of his funk? It doesn't really matter how he's playing, really, because Antonio Conte is going to play him and make him a focal point of the attack. But unlike the up-and-down trend of form throughout his career, Vucinic has been consistently meh the last month or so. Clearly that's going to have to change if Juventus want to create more scoring chances instead of turning the ball over in the final third, but that's pretty much a given. To be honest, it doesn't really matter who he's paired up with up top. When Vucinic plays well, so does Juventus. 2. Striker selection. Nice transition, huh? I'll take the bow later. I'm assuming Vucinic will be playing because, well, I haven't heard anything to the contrary. So who's gonna be alongside our favorite striker who may or may not be sporting a mustache? Odds are Sebastian Giovinco since he's pretty much started every game the past few weeks. I'm still sporting my #TeamMatri shirt, but I'm not putting money on him starting even though I think he should be. 3. What will the Juve-owned kids do? We already know one of them won't be there, but there's still one big one to keep an eye on. His name is Manolo Gabbiadini. You might have heard of him. We've written about him in the not-so-distant past. He's almost exclusively been employed as a left winger of sorts since Bologna went to the 4-2-3-1 full time. His stats on the season may not blow your mind away, but he's consistently playing. And at his age, that may be the most important thing of all. 4. How much will Bologna miss Iceman Sorensen? Another great transition. I won't ask for a round of applause, though. But Sorensen's performances in the center of Bologna's defense has had a lot to do with their recent performances. (You can read more about that here if you feel so inclined.) The injury he picked has put a slight dent in what has been one heck of a few months for the young Dane, who has shot up Bologna's seasonal ratings chart in the process. 5. Controlling Alessandro Diamanti. I mentioned Sorensen being one of WhoScored's top-rated players this season, well here's the No. 1 guy. Diamanti has been damn good this season, excelling in the middle of the "3" of Bologna's 4-2-3-1 formation. He scores goals, he creates goals, he does about everything in between offensively for Bologna. He's a very good player who has a very unique set of skills. No, he's going to be starring with Liam Neeson in Taken 3 or anything, but he'll be looking to make a big impact on Saturday. My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Vucinic, Matri http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/