His fourth league goal, squeezed under the ‘keeper’s body, gave Juventus the lead on nine minutes and unnerved the hosts throughout the first half.
Bologna were surprisingly subdued on home turf, having only lost one Serie A game this season. A deflection off Chelsea loanee Renato Veiga on 54 minutes beat ‘keeper Michele Di Gregorio on his 30th league appearance for Juventus.
There were a handful of disappointing displays from some of Igor Tudor’s troops. Yet the biggest surprise was that the interim coach opted for Weston McKennie rather than Francisco Conceicao to fill the void left by suspended attacking winger Kenan Yildiz.
The match petered out after Bologna squared matters, with a draw a fair result and their five Serie A stalemate on the bounce.
Old Juve player ratings
Michele Di Gregorio — 8
With the second highest number of Serie A clean sheets this term. The Italian shotstopper will be disappointed that he was beaten by a deflection on his 100th Serie A appearance.
Nicolo Savona — 8 (Old Juve man of the match)
Switched from right-back to a central defender role. He was exceptional in keeping former Juve player Riccardo Orsolini at bay throughout.
Renato Veiga — 6
Solid enough with his aerial ability and quick-thinking, His attempt to block Freuler’s effort deflected off his foot to bamboozle Di Gregorio for Bologna’s goal.
Pierre Kalulu — 6
Not his usual composed display. Was at fault for failing to deal with the danger of Nicolo Cambiaghi's cross from the left wing that resulted in Bologna’s second-half equalizer from Remo Freuler.
Timothy Weah — 6
Hard-working as ever, but failed to ignite the kind of display that can change the game. Should have been more involved, and appears to need a rest.
Manuel Locatelli — 6
The Juventus skipper was surprisingly not his usual calm and collected self. Helping out in defense but had a quiet match in midfield, was subbed as lacked impact.
Khephren Thuram — 8
Having set up a goal against Monza he went one better by slotting home, albeit thanks to a ‘keeper error from Lukasz Skorupski. Added bite for Juve on their attacks.
Andrea Cambiaso — 5
The Juventus wingback produced yet another underwhelming performance. He provided the assist for Thuram’s strike and found the back of the net from an offside position. Picked up another knock.
Weston McKennie — 7
Worked hard, racing from box-to-box and sending in long throw-ins. Utilized on the right flank for the opening half, and after the break had a tougher time in central midfield.
Nicolas Gonzalez — 5
Having scored a cracker against Monza his confidence was high. But his bubble burst by a tepid display and poor dribbling skills. Looked exhausted and disappointed when replaced by Francisco Conceicao.
Kolo Muani — 3
Poor performance, lacked passing skills and sharpness. Was never a threat to Bologna as rarely entered the box. Lost possession a staggering 18 times.
Juventus subs
Alberto Costa — 4
Slipped in the box when he was gifted a chance to score from close range. Hardly got into the game but ran his legs off trying to impress interim head coach Igor Tudor.
Douglas Luiz — 4
Rare appearance in a Juve jersey. Despite his eagerness brought virtually nothing to the game in his short stint, apart from a stoppage time cross for Samuel Mbangula.
Francisco Conceicao — 4
Was expected to start in place of Kenan Yildiz, made little impact in his brief stint and has fallen down the pecking order since Tudor was installed. Did win a last-gasp freekick that came to nothing.
Vasilije Adzic — appeared after 86 minutes.
Samuel Mbangula — appeared after 87 minutes.
Juventus line-up & bookings
Di Gregorio; Savona, Veiga, Kalulu; Weah (86, Adzic), Locatelli (77, Luiz), Thuram, Cambiaso (68, Costa); McKennie, Gonzalez (77, Conceicao); Muani (87, Mbangula). Subs: Perin, Pinsoglio, Rouhi.
Bookings: Costa, Gonzalez and Locatelli.
Igor Tudor’s post-match comments
“We prepared for this match by aiming to pass the ball into space and battle physically. We played a solid game, in a tough setting and on a pitch where everyone suffered. We lacked fluidity in our final ball, but overall I’m satisfied.”
Nicolo Savono post-match comments
“Playing as part of a back three was a novelty for me. We remained compact until the end, showing character.
“The coach gives us enthusiasm and I think the whole team put in a good performance today. Now we have to remain focused to finish well.”