Valerio Pennicino
Paul Pogba's stoppage time winner propelled Juventus past Bologna, extending their leauge unbeaten streak to 49 matches
Bologna looked primed for their third straight draw against Juventus, but a stoppage time goal from Paul Pogba gave the Old Lady the win and extended their unbeaten streak in the league.
The first half was a carbon copy of what we've seen from Juventus many times this season. Total statistical dominance from the bianconeri with massive advantages in both possession (59% to 41%) and shots (11-4), but nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Bologna's defense and their goalkeeper Federico Agliardi deserve plenty of credit as they did basically everything right in the first half...but they had some help.
Juventus had a goal disallowed in the 13th minute when a phantom foul was called just as Paul Pogba headed a perfectly delivered Andrea Pirlo corner in to the goal. Pogba was at it again in the 17th minute, beating Agliardi with a long-range shot that hammered off the post, denying the French midfielder.
Bologna has a goal disallowed as well a minute later. Alberto Gilardino headed the ball down in the box towards Manolo Gabbiadini who volleyed the ball past Gianluigi Buffon, but the referee waved it off, claiming Gilardino had committed a foul on the initial header.
It only took eight minutes of play in the second half for Juve to finally break through. Pogba lofted the ball in to the Bologna box where it was headed down by Emanuele Giaccherini right to Fabio Quagliarella who wasted not time beating Agliardi, putting Juve ahead 1-0.
In the 70th minute, Juve's Paolo De Ceglie tried to clear his end with a floating ball that dropped right in front of Saphir Taider. Taider pounced and rocketed a shot that beat a diving Buffon just inside the far post to even that match at 1-1.
With the match in stoppage time and the draw looming, Juve found the winner. Sebastian Giovinco sent a great ball in to the box that Pogba rose to meet, heading the ball down hard off the ground and in to the net. The goal extended Juve's league unbeaten streak to 49 matches and allowed them to extend their lead over second place Napoli who lost to Atalanta.


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