Cremonese-Bologna 1-5: goals from Arnautovic, Ferguson, Posch, Orsolini, Sansone, Ciofani

From our correspondent Matteo Dalla Vite

May, 20th
– cream

Bologna makes five almost easily, Cremonese stays there, at 24 points, and cries over the umpteenth match that risks being swallowed up by Serie B for good: there is a way and a way to lose, then it is true that the team Motta proved to be superior in practically every minute, but the Grigiorossi showed little, too little, and Captain Ciofani’s goal at the end to make it 1-5 does not make a performance that should have been “all in” for salvation and which instead represented one more step than Bologna in the (very crowded) pursuit of eighth place. If Verona snatch a point from Atalanta, the Grigiorossi will be arithmetically relegated tonight.

Arna is there

—

Before the match, Cremonese delivered a check for 50,000 euros to the CEO of Bologna Claudio Fenucci to be donated to the flood victims of Emilia Romagna. The days that are lived in that land are also underlined by a banner in the sector occupied by the 1500 Bolognese fans displaying the words “Emilia and Romagna united in pain”. And then there’s football, the match: with Ballardini who chooses the 4-2-3-1 (Tsadjout in place of Ciofani) and Motta who still focuses on Arnautovic at the center of a real trident formed by Orsolini and Barrow. It is precisely an “all in”: Bologna (with mourning on his arm) is still trying to reach an eighth place which would be pure gold given the season which was initially very troubled; the Cremonese look for the last possible gusts of salvation, a true dream, that of staying in Serie A. After repeated control of the ball, and two flames from the Grigiorossi, Bologna takes the lead: Schouten’s ball on the left, Barrow returns on the right with Castagnetti observing, a cross that almost looks like a shot but on the other side – not covered by Vasquez – there is Arnautovic who finds the goal again in the 16th minute and it hasn’t happened since November 12, 2022 against Sassuolo, 189 days ago.

goleada

—

Immediately afterwards, Orsolini tries from afar: Carnesecchi in safety. Cremonese tries to react but it is still Bologna who find the goal: from Orsolini’s corner, the ball lands on Ferguson’s feet, bounces like a carom on Meitè, the Scotsman receives again and puts Carnesecchi in for the 0-2. The grey-red goalkeeper can do nothing but deflect two Dominguez shots for a corner. The Grigiorossi orchestrate something that never becomes concrete on the frontline, Bologna thinks with the ball at their feet, raises the center of gravity and above all imposes superior quality throughout the pitch, including Arnautovic, who is also capable of being a “player” by lowering himself compared to the penalty area to talk to teammates. The first alert for the rossoblùs came in the 40th minute: a cross from the left, a high blow from Tsadjout, and it was a one-off occasion to shorten. In the 46th minute, however, Bologna scored three of a kind: Orsolini’s corner, Carnesecchi went empty to hinder Ferguson and Barrow, the ball to Posch and the Austrian’s sixth goal to make it 0-3. And the first half, after 2′ of added time, ends with Zini whistling.

no rigor

—

In the second half Ballardini makes two substitutions: off Galdames (who saw it?) and Tsadjout for Buonaiuto and Ciofani. Motta relies on the same players from the first fraction only to then change: inside Moro and Aebischer, with the Cremonese who in the 61st minute claim a penalty for Bonifazi’s arm following a shot by Buonaiuto. The referee Valeri initially gives the penalty, the Var corrects it: the Bolognese defender took it with the shoulder. A minute later, the combination of Arnautovic, Moro and the ball to Orsolini in depth: 0-4 and the eleventh goal for the rossoblù. Meanwhile, Zini whistles, the curve occupied by the Bolognese shouts “You are at the cinema” but Motta sees his team in 10 (Orsolini takes the second yellow card) and lose Arnautovic who stops alone due to muscle boredom. Samson enters and the 0-5 is his after an assist from Barrow and Cremonese, now dissolved for a while and who shortly before had swallowed up a goal with Okereke after a rebuttal by Skorupski on a shot by Buonaiuto. But the satisfaction that doesn’t make the classification is there: it’s given by the grey-red captain Ciofani, a powerful and central blow for the 1-5. The games, however, are almost over and the people of Cremona are disappointed. Angry too. And the people of the “Zini”, merciless, boo.