Bologna 3-3 Juventus
In what could have been a critical test for Thiago Motta’s potential move to Juventus, his Bologna side started strong but ultimately drew 3-3 with the Turin giants on Monday.
Motta’s contract with Bologna, where the 41-year-old has been since 2022, expires at the end of the season. His team has been impressive this season, securing a spot in next season’s Champions League. The draw on Monday kept them in third place, ahead of Juventus on a tiebreak.
Juventus, playing their first match since Massimiliano Allegri’s firing, appeared disoriented at the start. Riccardo Calafiori scored within two minutes, and Santiago Castro, making his first Serie A start, added a second goal at the 11-minute mark. Jens Odgaard had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after.
After a halftime talk with interim coach Paolo Montero, Juventus showed more determination. Despite this, Bologna’s Calafiori scored again after a swift counter-attack in the 53rd minute, making it 3-0.
However, Bologna’s defensive collapse began after Motta made several substitutions.
Federico Chiesa capitalized on a mistake by Jhon Lucumi to score for Juventus in the 76th minute. Arkadiusz Milik, a substitute, added a second goal from a deflected free kick in the 83rd minute. Just a minute later, Kenan Yildiz, another substitute, equalized with a solo effort.
Montero celebrated enthusiastically on the touchline, leading Juventus for the last two games of the season. Speculation about Motta joining Juventus next season has intensified following Allegri’s dismissal.
Motta, addressing the rumors, said, “I haven’t decided, nor signed anything. Next week I’ll sit down with the president (Joey Saputo) to take a decision together. Then we will make an announcement together.”
Allegri, who was sent off in the final minutes of last Wednesday’s 1-0 Cup Final win against Atalanta, has a storied history with Juventus, winning 12 trophies, including five Serie A titles, and reaching two Champions League finals.
