Juventus showed no hangover from their midweek Champions League exit as they closed the gap on leaders Inter to four points with a 4-1 home win over Bologna on Saturday.
Claudio Ranieri’s team were knocked out of Europe after drawing 2-2 at home to Chelsea on Tuesday, seeing them beaten 3-2 on aggregate.
But goals from Hasan Salihamidzic, Sebastian Giovinco and an Alessandro Del Piero brace saw them come back from a goal down at half-time.
Ranieri said his team had not been their normal selves in the first period.
“We were too passive in the first half and didn’t get into our rhythm,” he said. “But in the second half we started to accelerate.”
The coach said that the players need to stand up and be counted if the club is to regain its past glories.
“We’re reconstructing Juventus and we need to know who wants to take on this responsibility because the coach and the club cannot do it on their own,” he said.
Juventus took some time to get into their stride and it was Bologna who took the lead following some clever play on 24 minutes.
Marco Di Vaio cut in from the left and ran across the box, drawing two defenders before slipping the ball into the path of Massimo Mutarelli, whose angled run between two defenders saw him close in on goal before sliding the ball under goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Juventus took their time to react but on 37 minutes Giovinco cut in from the left and let fly, bringing a smart save out of Francesco Antonioli.
Moments later Giovinco crossed for Del Piero but the unmarked veteran forward missed with his header and the ball bounced off his shoulder and wide.
However, it took the hosts little time after the break to restore parity as Salihamidzic levelled on 49 minutes, running across his man to glance home a header from Giovinco’s corner.
Both sides had good chances until Juventus ran away with the match towards the end of the game.
First Salihamidzic crossed deep for Vincenzo Iaquinta who teed up Giovinco to shank home a shot off the outside of his shin that left Antonioli rooted to the spot.
With a quarter of an hour left Salihamidzic played a slide rule pass into Del Piero who turned his marker and beat Antonioli at his near post.
He then wrapped things up three minutes from time, poking the ball home at the near post at the second attempt before missing out on a last minute hat-trick when crashing a shot against the bar.
In the day’s other game, Ruben Olivera scored the only goal six minutes from time as Genoa won 1-0 at Cagliari, for whom Andrea Cossu was sent off in the first half.
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