25 August 2023
Another trip down memory lane, this time ahead of this weekend’s Juventus-Bologna, as we flip through the pages of Juve’s historical Hurrah magazine.
In the past there have been many encounters between the Bianconeri and Bologna, many of which have been truly memorable. We delved deep into a particular match from 1998 here, but there were many more super match-ups played between these two sides.
2002: WHAT A FINAL AT THE "DELLE ALPI"!
Juventus took an important step towards their 26th Scudetto on 3 March 2002 by beating Bologna 2-1, comeback victory proving vital at the end of the season when – following victory in Udine and the simultaneous defeat of Inter in Rome against Lazio - Marcello Lippi's team returned to the summit of Italian football.
Returning to the match against the Bolognese, in Hurrà we read:
“A great match with a Bologna side that is increasingly worthy of its very high position in the standings and Juve who come back from behind to record a success that extends their impressive streak in the championship.”
Victory over the Rossoblù extended Juve’s unbeaten run at the time to 14 matches, which included 10 wins and four draws. This particular victory was earned in the final minutes of the match: Bologna took the lead in Turin in the 36th minute with a goal from Zauli - who a decade later would become the coach of Juventus' Primavera and then Under 23 sides – with David Trezeguet netting the equaliser just a minute later, his 17th of the campaign. In the second half, Juve desperately searched for the winner to keep in touch with Serie A leaders Inter, with Hurra’s description reading:
“In the second half, the drumming assault of Juventus continued, led by a great Nedved, and the well-deserved lead came in the 40th minute, thanks to an own goal by Tarantino. Worth mentioning, on the occasion, is the beautiful public gesture of Enzo Maresca, who immediately goes to console his heartbroken opponent. Compliments to Bologna, who confirm themselves as a top-first tier team. Juve's run continues.”
At the end of this matchday, the eighth of the second round, Inter led the standings with 52 points, but the Nerazzurri were closely followed by the Old Lady with 51, thanks to the 2-1 victory over Bologna, with Roma on 50 points. In fourth place sat Bologna, a bit further behind on 41 points.
It was a long and tense run-in to the end of the season, but as we know, it ended with black and white celebrations on 5 May 2002 with title number 26.
"THE MUD DOESN'T HOLD!"
Just over thirty years ago, the Juventus-Bologna match-up of the 1971/1972 season was one of the most exciting. The photo above shows Gianpietro Marchetti and Pietro Anastasi with the Scudetto on their shirts the following year. If it was possible to sew it together, the credit also goes to what the two of them did in the encounter against the Rossoblu on 12 March, 1972.
That Juventus-Bologna was played in the sixth round of the return leg of fixtures, with the Bianconeri first in the standings, but the match was no easy affair. The pitch was in disastrous condition, with Bologna taking the lead thanks to Morini, whose strike followed a trajectory almost impossible to save.
Going behind kicked Juve into gear, but the heavy turf didn’t help, making it difficult to play – yet the Bianconeri don’t give up. In the twenty-sixth minute of the second half, Pietro Anastasi headed in one of Juve’s many corners to level matters.
The leveler further spurred the team on, and right after making it 1-1, Gianpietro Marchetti’s right-footed cross-shot from the left-hand side finds its way into the top corner to give Juve the win.
The 2-1 victory gave Juve two decisive points in the Scudetto race that would, in the end, see the Old Lady take the title by just a solitary point over Milan and Torino. Hurrà Juventus summed up the meaning of Sunday's win with a title that refers to the pitch as the main protagonist: "The mud doesn't hold!"
