Straddling this game like the Sword of Damocles, is Juve's midweek trip to Galatasaray in the Champions League, where they have to avoid defeat to progress to the knock out stage, having already struggled against the Turkish champions in Turin, they will be well aware of what awaits them in Istanbul. Holding a healthy three point advanatge over Roma at the top of Serie A, I know full well that Juve would snatch your arm off for a 1-0 win this evening and if they do take the lead, I expect them to go into their shell and conserve as much energy as possible for Tuesday.

We discussed Juve's recent Champions League match with FCK and I see this match kind of similarly ...

Juventus have really hit their stride in Serie A, scored a few goals , conceding few and that Roma five point advantage of a month ago has disappeared and the Old Lady is back on top. Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente are starting to gel up front and things are suddenly looking rosy, but they are at the foot of this Champions League group and simply have to win tonight and I feel it will be more about the result, than performance and that unless the first goal comes very early,we will see Juve adopt a professional and pragmatic approach. They know that the margin of victory is unimportant and having failed to win, or keep a cleansheet in four group games to date, I suspect it will be more about keeping things tight once they do take the lead and attacking with a degree of caution.

The hosts are a little short of options in key areas, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Mauricio Isla are both still missing on the right flank and they have not been as fluid with either Padoin or Asamoah in that position. The situation is compounded with Andrea Barzagli also missing and unable to play on the right side of that back three, Martín Cáceres has filled in on that side in two Serie A games ( verses lowly opposition) and played in both games against Real Madrid, but that was alongside Barzagli and not in place of him and in a back four. We do not know what formation coach Antonio Conte will opt for this evening, whether it will be 3-5-2 or 4-3-3, but the right side will be a problem and another reason for Juve to be a little cautious and to favour/protect that side.

FCK have also found a little form and a few goals domestically and must be delighted to arrive here still in contention to make the knockout stage, a point tonight would really give them a great chance to progress, playing a Real Madrid side who will already have won the group on matchday 6. Of course a point in Turin is very difficult and probably beyond them, but they will want to stay in the game as long as possible and we can also expect the same pragmatism from the Danes. They are not going to change their gameplan at 0-1 and might even be fairly happy to enter the last quarter of the game in that position. Juve could be a little nervous themselves then, having conceded late here to Galatasaray. This is a mismatch on paper and I expect the home side to do enough to win, but see value in FCK with the very big handicap start.

They are in much better shape squad wise this evening, with Lichtsteiner, Isla and Barzagli (see all above) in the group which travelled, but we can still expect some rotation and as always, a professional performance and approach, with the bigger picture in mind. A single goal win will be fantastic, a draw acceptable IMO and with Andrea Pirlo out until the New Year after picking up a knock against Udinese, no further injuries will be a priority.

The hosts are in a relegation scrap and will almost certainly be in the drop zone after this round of fixtures if they do not get a result this evening and I doubt they would see a trip to Fiorentina, which is up next, as a better opportunity to get a result than this evening. They have upped their game recently and their only loss in five was daylight robbery at Atalanta, they are improving and this bet would only have lost once in the last ten h2h meetings in Bologna. 1.5 units Bologna +1 ball 2.21 asian line/Ibramarket.

Bologna: Agliardi, Curci, Stojanovic,  Antonsson, Cech, Crespo, Garics, Mantovani, Morleo, Natali, Radakovic, Della Rocca, Kone, Krhin, Laxalt, Pazienza, Perez,  Acquafresca, Alibec, Bianchi, Christodoulopoulos, Cristaldo, Diamanti.

Juventus :1 Buffon, 3 Chiellini, 4 Caceres, 5 Ogbonna , 6 Pogba, 8 Marchisio, 9 Vucinic,10 Tevez, 11 De Ceglie, 13 Peluso,14 Llorente, 15 Barzagli, 16 Motta, 19 Bonucci, 20 Padoin, 22 Asamoah, 23 Vidal, 26 Lichtsteiner, 27 Quagliarella, 30 Storari, 33 Isla, 35 Vannucchi.

Good Luck.