Juventus vs Bologna preview - Piolo issues rallying call

Posted Wednesday, October 31, 2012 by PA

Bologna boss Stefano Pioli has called on his players to replicate the heart they showed against Inter last Sunday when they face Juventus.

The northern Italian outfit were beaten 3-1 at the weekend and are second-bottom of Serie A with just two victories from their opening nine fixtures.

In contrast, last seasons champions Juventus top the table and their unbeaten run stretches back as far as last May.

"I hope to see in my players the same spirit on Sunday, knowing that now face the strongest opponent of the season," he told reporters.

"We are working on different angles and situations and it is clear that the impact on the match with Inter has been positive: I still believe that we lack a little to get to the result and we must learn to finish the game with the same mentality with which we begin.

"The performance in Turin will be important, in which each ball may be the decisive one. The only thought of myself and my staff all work together to grow in consistency and continuity."

Their opponents head into the match at the Juventus Stadium off the back of a controversial 1-0 win over Catania.

The Elephants had a goal disallowed in their 1-0 loss, but only after the referee initially signalled a goal and then changed his mind following vehement protests from the Juve bench.

Juve have cancelled all media activities in protest at the way assistant coach Angelo Alessio was questioned by reporters after the match.

Both teams have a player suspended for the game with Alessandro Diamanti missing out for Bologna, while Arturo Vidal will also be absent.