Antonio Candreva gave Juventus a precious and very hard-fought victory at the Dall'Ara.

Alberto Zaccheroni was unbeaten on the Bianconeri bench and had won his last two against Genoa and Ajax. Those ties also terminated Amauri's goal drought after four months. The injury list was whittled down slightly to just Vincenzo Iaquinta, Christian Poulsen, Sebastian Giovinco and Martin Caceres. Bologna had climbed to mid-table under Franco Colomba, but lost striker Marco Di Vaio to a thigh injury last week. He joined Massimo Mutarelli, Andrea Pisanu, Francesco Modesto and the suspended Salvatore Lanna in the stands.

Juventus broke through after just four minutes at the Dall'Ara. Diego went on a strong run through the middle and his shot was parried, as was Amauri's follow-up, but Diego eventually bundled it over the line.

Bologna finally came out of their shells and threatened on 19 minutes with former Juve striker Marcelo Zalayeta flicking a volley with his heel that hit the side-netting.

It was almost 2-0 for the Bianconeri, as Emiliano Viviano spilled a Claudio Marchisio snapshot into the path of Diego, who hit the upright from close range.

After a rough start, the Rossoblu started to push forward more and on 35 minutes a wonderful Martins Adailton free kick cracked against the crossbar with Gianluigi Buffon rooted to the spot.

Bologna nearly equalised in first half stoppages, as at the end of a long team move the ball was pulled back for Roberto Guana on the edge of the box, but he ballooed over the bar.

Straight after the restart Zalayeta sprung the offside trap and pulled back for Adailton, but the linesman stated it had already crossed the byline.

Bologna started the second half in a much more attacking vein and equalised. Andrea Raggi's cross from the left went past everyone to reach Busce' at the back post, who nudged it on to the post and then in from six yards. Juve's three-man defence looked rather shaky.

The Rossoblu introduced teenage supersup Henry Gimenez and within seconds he had nearly scored! Zalayeta turned his marker and rolled across for Gimenez, whose shot from close range was cleared off the line and on to the upright by Zdenek Grygera.

Daniele Portanova's looping overhead kick hit the roof of the net, as Bologna were suddenly fired up.

However, just as Juventus were struggling the most, they took the lead through their own super-sub. Antonio Candreva was released by a Del Piero slide-rule pass and placed the angled drive into the net from 10 yards.

Felipe Melo thought he had scored a third for the Bianconeri, but it was ruled offside because Del Piero tried to get on the end of Amauri's pull-back before it reached the on-rushing Felipe Melo.

Bologna were laying siege to Buffon's box, but this left space at the back for a counter and Viviano stood his ground to deny Candreva one-on-one.

Buffon smothered a Portanova header and held out during the final stoppage-time attacks.

Bologna: Viviano; Zenoni (Savio 73), Portanova, Moras, Raggi; Buscè, Guana, Mudingayi (Mingazzini 83), Casarini; Adailton (Gimenez 61); Zalayeta

Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini; Salihamidzic, Felipe Melo, Marchisio (Sissoko 53), De Ceglie; Diego (Candreva 61); Del Piero (Camoranesi 87), Amauri

Ref: Banti