The conditions were just as damp as the atmosphere early on in Turin, and Juve fans waiting for a flash of brilliance to bring the stadium to life were ultimately left wanting by a lacklustre first-half display from Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
Bologna trailed in terms of possession but certainly weren’t lacking for potency, and their first warning shot came when summer signing Dan Ndoye forced a low save from backup goalkeeper Mattia Perin, although Ferguson was left furious at not being found in the centre of the box.
The Scottish international proved his point just 60 seconds later, latching onto a through-ball from the exceptional Joshua Zirkzee, before wrong-footing Perin with an accurate far-post finish.
With Juve on the ropes, the same combination linked up again before the interval. Zirkzee’s lay-off was just as easy on the eye the second time around, but Ferguson dragged his effort narrowly wide from the edge of the box to leave the hosts within touching distance.
Allegri’s galvanised side wasted no time in attempting to punish the visitors once play resumed. Vlahovic thought he had equalised with an acrobatic finish before the hour mark, which was subsequently ruled out due to Adrien Rabiot standing in an offside position, before Timothy Weah and Nicolo Fagioli each went close with chances of their own.
Bologna’s bench erupted with 20 minutes to play when a convincing penalty shout was overlooked by referee Marco Di Bello, with one member of Thiago Motta’s backroom team being sent off, before Vlahovic headed home Samuel Iling-Junior’s cross to share the spoils.
Promisingly for Juve, their main man up top has now started the new season with goals in successive games, suggesting that the 23-year-old could rediscover the rampant scoring form he previously displayed at Fiorentina.
Bologna may take some time to lick their wounds, but a spirited performance and a point away from home should satisfy the club’s hierarchy that they made the right call in backing Thiago Motta with a raft of summer signings.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna)
