Sinisa Mihajlovic assures Bologna will always ‘play to win and keep our heads up’ against Juventus or any other opponent. ‘We’re not content to settle for Serie A safety.’
It kicks off on Monday at 20.45 UK time (19.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
This is the first Rossoblu outing since the lockdown began in March, but Juve played two disappointing 0-0 draws in the Coppa Italia with Milan and Napoli.
Sinisa Mihajlovic assures Bologna will always ‘play to win and keep our heads up’ against Juventus or any other opponent. ‘We’re not content to settle for Serie A safety.’
It kicks off on Monday at 20.45 UK time (19.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
This is the first Rossoblu outing since the lockdown began in March, but Juve played two disappointing 0-0 draws in the Coppa Italia with Milan and Napoli.
“Juve have the advantage, because they have already played two games, obviously as well as the overall quality of their squad,” said Mihajlovic in his press conference.
“We’ll step on to the field for the first time in three months, but as always, we are playing to win. We’ll be on home turf, but the lack of the fans will take a good 15-20 per cent off the home advantage, so we need to find that strength within us. It’ll be a difficult match for Bologna, but also for Juventus. We are certainly not beaten before we even start.
“During this period, we’ve tried to refresh the memories of the players, not just on tactics, but also on their mentality. I am curious to see how we respond on the pitch.”
Some things have changed, for example each team can now make five substitutions per game, while playing behind closed doors negates home advantage.
“I expect a lot more from those who come off the bench, now,” continued Mihajlovic.
“Bologna’s mentality has not changed. We play to win, keep our heads up. Sit back and defend is not my idea of football, so if we are pinned back, it’ll only be because we are forced there. Besides, we almost always concede at least one goal, so defending really isn’t our thing.”
Mihajlovic signed a new contract with Bologna until June 2023, another show of their bond after the difficult period during his leukaemia treatment.
“I signed on for another year because I like the project, the club and the fans. It was a shared decision to continue together. It doesn’t mean I will 100 per cent be at Bologna until that date, but the contract extension is a wonderful show of faith in me. I appreciated it and am very happy.
“I have everything here that I could want as a coach. This Bologna is no longer content to settle for Serie A safety, as the target is a more ambitious and important objective. I know the club will do everything to make me happy and I will do the same for them.”