Lookman takes the lead, but in the second half the rossoblù score with Zirkzee on a penalty and Ferguson. Motta rejoices, sixth success in a row
Unstoppable Bologna: mentally strong and ferocious in recovering, straightening out and then grabbing a golden victory. Is it the escape from the Champions League? It could be: Bologna wins in an adult and mature manner the sixth match in a row and above all – reversing the result and a “shrunken” first half – they do it at the Gewiss, a stadium in which Gasperini had won six in a row. Now there are four points behind Roma in fifth place, a long parenthesis that smacks of an escape and a mentally cool team capable of always staying in the game and then directing it. Student Thiago Motta beats Maestro Gasperini, Joey Saputo celebrates like a child in the stands and Bologna runs wild with the substitutions in the second half, adjusting everything in every area of the pitch and finding the goals from Zirkzee (penalty for a foul by Koop on Saelemaekers) and Ferguson, who reached ten and six goals respectively in the season.
shoulder pads and… lookman
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Atalanta has come back from seven victories in a row at home, Bologna from 6 useful results in a row of which 5 consecutive victories: Gasperini spreads a 3-4-3 with De Ketelaere in the middle of the pitch as an inside right player and Pasalic as a false center forward; Thiago Motta confirms Fabbian, Orsolini, puts Calafiori back at the center of the defense (all three were pre-summoned by coach Spalletti, in the stands) and chooses Ndoye in place of Saelemaekers on the left-handed lane. The first high score comes from the Goddess: escape to the left by Ruggeri, through ball and insertion by DeK (2′) who shoots very high. Bologna’s reaction arrives in the 10th minute: Fabbian’s high strike on a corner from Orsolini who in the 17th minute arrives at Bologna’s first shot on goal, easily neutralized by Carnesecchi. Atalanta foams with play and anger, Bologna only manages to take a throw-in: Gasperini’s disposition initially puts pupil Motta in difficulty. The break comes in the 28th minute: action started by Lookman, ball to Zappacosta who is free to shoot from the right, blocked short in the middle of the small area by Skorupski and Lookman is there, where Beukema doesn’t notice, and it’s 1-0 of the Goddess snaps mercilessly. Calafiori, having emerged from Pasalic’s initial cage, goes up to set and after the goal Bologna looks for a reaction but cannot find the important opening to worry Carnesecchi. Gasp returns to 3-4-1-2 and leaves a few meters to Motta’s team while keeping the tension high with incursions again signed by Lookman and Pasalic who now floats trying to muzzle Freuler’s direction. The first half ends with Atalanta who – even on occasions – did much more but Bologna’s non-exit from the match must be considered, injured but not knocked down even if unable to look for Carnesecchi with great effectiveness.
turnaround
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In the second half, Motta immediately changes the right wing which was in great difficulty: Posch out (Lucumi plays the central role with Beukema moving to the right) and Orsolini out for Saelemaekers who goes to the left with Ndoye who diverts to right. Gasp remains as it was in the first half and the start is more Bologna than Atalanta, with the rossoblù turning the game around in the 4th minute: Saelemaekers takes a penalty for hitting Koopmeniners on the ankle in the area; Zirkzee converted his tenth goal of the season to make it 1-1 in the 56th minute; shortly after, Ndoye’s shot was blocked by the Atalanta defense and Ferguson – up until then little in the spotlight – volleyed home the diagonal for his sixth personal goal and the 1-2. Bottom line: Bologna, even with Motta’s substitutions, was able to get back into the game, with the “gift” from Koopmeiners but also knowing how to gain meters to chase Atalanta out. Gasp little by little changed the face of the attack by introducing Scamacca, Miranchuk and the midfield with Ederson and Scamacca but the Dea no longer found the lucid strength of the first half and above all there is Bologna who are another Bologna, tough, resilient , lucid and ferocious. And now he seems more and more part of the Champions League dream.
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